Superpower
by Athk0r3
Summary: Humanity is different. After a brutal unfication war, the world of Terra melds its magic with technology to break free of their homeworld. With the galaxy their oyster and the thirst for adventure now unquenchable, the Terran Empire will reach new heights. Meanwhile, the arrogance of the Citadel Council has also reached new heights. Perhaps it is time to put them in their place. AU
1. Prolouge: Timeline of the Terran Empire

50000 B.U. (Before Unity)

Acererak ascends to Lichdom.

47560 B.U.

Prothean Empire is destroyed by the Reapers.

1 B.U.

"Your reign of terror ends here, monster!" He shouted, leveling his longsword at the abomination before him.

"You have fought with valor and skill, paladin*." his opponent responded, "But surely even you can see, you have lost."

The paladin looked around, surveying the battlefield. Bodies littered the field, blood soaking into the grass, making a reddish mud that clung to the boots and stained like nothing else. He looked behind him, seeing the bright, shining towers of Lethorian, the last stronghold of Faerun, and the only thing standing between this monster and world domination.

"No," The paladin charged forward, a corona of white magic surrounding his body, propelling him to inhuman speeds, sword raised, "as long as I still draw breath, I have not failed!"

The longsword came down, only to be blocked by a black greatsword with a resounding clang. Two more quick slashes resulted in two more blocks, the holy knight only backing off when the 6 foot greatsword came down in an overhead strike, throwing up dirt, blood and mud as it crashed into the ground.

Being temporarily blinded by the debris thrown into the air, the paladin was caught off guard when a massive boot nailed him in the chest, sending him down into the mud. As his chest cried out in pain, he heard a voice speaking to him.

"You have great power Mikhail, son of Malkhelm." At this, Mikhail felt himself get lifted into the air, and looked to see a large gauntlet clamped around the neck of his breastplate, which now had a large, boot-shaped dent in it.

With what was left of his strength, Mikhail glared into the eyes of the victor, his sky blue orbs meeting glowing, sickly green in a sea of black. Looking over his captors shoulder, Mikhail could see the rest of the army. A sea of death, lines upon lines upon lines of undead. Zombies*, Ghouls*, Morghs*, even a few Wights* and Vampires*. Overhead flew a veritable swarm of Wraiths*, blotting out the sun, creating a shadow that allowed the sunlight sensitive forces to advance.

"I understand your anger." The monster spoke, with a voice that was simultaneously intimidating and comforting, "You have lost much today, and for that I am sorry. But when I am finished, it will be better."

"Whatever your problem is," Mikhail coughed weakly, "You think conquest and war will solve it? You're truly as delusion as they say."

"I do not expect you to understand, I do not expect anyone to. But this is the only way to save this world."

"Through destruction?"

"Through unity." The monster responded, "With this world under my control, I can save it. I will no longer allow anyone to be forgotten. I know how to do it."

"You can't possibly know." Mikhail responded, only speaking to try and stall for time while his soldiers attempt to mount another defense.

"Not only am I the only one who knows how to fix it, I am the only one with the strength and the will to do so."

The monster dropped the paladin, letting the holy knight sink lightly into the bloody ground. With an ear splitting, droning noise, like a mix between grinding metal, a roar and a growl, Mikhail looked up, and saw a dragon corpse land behind the monster. Easily a hundred feet long from snout to tail, with four limbs and a set of massive wings, and a span that could easily be over a hundred and fifty feet.

Mikhail's mouth opened in shock. Dracoliches* weren't supposed to be able to survive this far south, as the temperature would rot their bodies too much for any reanimation attempts after a few days.

The massive dragon skeleton shook its body like a dog, vertebrae and an empty rib cage rattling around with a dull clacking noise. It looked down at Mikhail with what could be approximated to eyes. Two balls of bright blue fire, rolling around in its empty eye sockets.

Its entire body was held together with scraps of ligament and muscle, and an astral blue glow that pulsed in its chest like a heart, giving off blue wisps of powerful magical energy that surrounded its skeletal frame.

It bent its head down, and the monster that had dumped him in the mud strode over to it, and stepped onto one of the large spikes on its head, using them to climb onto the top of its skull. As its wings extended, the monster gave Mikhail one last parting word.

"I have naught but respect for you, Mikhail." It said as the army of undead surrounded him, a group of zombies picking his battered frame off the ground, and carrying him back through their lines.

"I hope we meet again, at better time."

The last thing Mikhail heard before his consciousness left him was his brother shouting, and the dull clack of skeletons* in armor.

1 A.U. (After Unity)

After the fall of Lethorian*, the planet of Terra was united for the first time since the Age of the Old Gods. Rebuilding efforts are immediately started, as the Dead Legion* begins reconstruction immediately.

2 A.U.

With the planet united, the old government deposed, the new ruler and commander of the Dead Legion, High Lord Acererak, assumes position as King of Terra and ruler of the Terran Empire*.

4 A.U.

After pacifying a series of minor rebellions, High Lord Acererak, King of Terra devotes his full attention to rebuilding his world.

10 A.U.

Physical reconstruction is estimated to be half completed.

20 A.U.

With the vast majority of immediate physical reconstruction completed, some focus is diverted to improving the lives of the people. Within the first few months, civil laws and regulations that at one time would seem insane and impossible to pass are drafted.

This is thanks to a simple fact of Terran nature. Roughly 9-12 months after the War to End All Wars*, there was a major population boom. This new generation, known unofficially as the First Unified Generation*.

Their upbringing led to an overall more progressive view and outlook on the world, letting the government pass laws that would have been vehemently opposed not even 2 decades before.

25 A.U.

The series of civil rights laws known as the Reformation Accords*, which outlawed slavery officially, halted government corruption, provided equal rights for a multitude of species and organised aid programs is so far considered a resounding success.

40 A.U.

After restoring the world to its former glory, High Lord Acererak turns his gaze to his vision of the future of Terra. He begins building up the economy, and directs significant amounts of his available budget to sciences and magic research, intent on not only covering the planet, but understanding it.

45 A.U.

Solar system of Terra is almost entirely charted, and a geocentric starmap is drawn up. System is thought to consist of 6 planets, an asteroid ring, and one star, known as Solus*. The notable features, from Solus outwards are named Avandra*, Sune*, Terra*, Luna* (Terra's moon), Hextor*, The Bahamut Ring* (the asteroid ring), Erathis*, and Corellon*.

50 A.U.

Black Powder is formulated, testing for applications in the military begin immediately.

55 A.U.

Given how volatile and sometimes unpredictable Black Powder is, research is conducted into improvements, eventually supplanted by Smokeless Powder, which eventually becomes known as Gunpowder.

In the same year, the first handheld gunpowder weapon, a form of flintlock, resembling a miniaturized cannon is created. Known as the 'Hand Cannon*'.

56 A.U.

The first _practical_ handheld gunpowder weapon, a large flintlock, is created by a dwarven* scientist named Jorgen Hall*. Known as the 'Gun*'

60 A.U.

The rifled barrel is developed, finally solving the main accuracy issue with flintlocks. Further investment and research is made into improving the rounds fired.

Necromantic scholars figure out how to reverse the mind-destroying effect of zombification, and are able to restore the minds of many people.

80 A.U.

Steam power is invented. Applications worldwide begin. Very soon after, a branch of research known as Magitech* is developed, with the goal of combining technology, science and magic.

81 A.U.

First joint magic/technology power generator is created, using certain forms of evocational wind and water magic (known as airomancy* and aquamancy* respectively) in a steam engine, allowing it to run indefinitely. It is christened as the Mark 1 Magitech Generator*.

103 A.U.

After a series of improvements to the Mark 1 Magitech Generators (Resulting in Marks 2-6), the first viable method of storing lightning is developed by an elven* research and development team led by Elran Battery* known as the Battery*. This lightning, after being stored and contained, is named, 'Electricity', after the lightning elemental* Elak*, who allowed them advanced study of his body, and Triscity Saun*, the human* who performed the research.

105 A.U.

The Mark 11 Magitech Generator is created, and is the first self sustaining electrical generator capable of producing infinite electricity.

120 A.U.

The first bullet is created by a joint elven/dwarven research team, being composed of gunpowder, a primer, case and bullet. This comes with the creation of the firearm hammer, opening the door to potentially unlimited options.

130 A.U.

The first, single action revolver is created by a human engineer named Samuel Colt*.

150 A.U.

The first double action revolver, the Colt M150* is created by Samuel Colt.

160 A.U.

The first lever action firearm is invented by the Magitech branch of the Terran Empire. Known as the Repeater Rifle*.

An additional amount of planets and moons are discovered thanks to new magic and technology. This sparks the naming of Ioun*, Kord* and Vlesharoon*.

200 A.U.

First semi automatic gun mechanism is invented. With this comes the discovery of enchanted bullets, allowing for each round to have an extra effect.

210 A.U.

First fully automatic gun mechanism is invented, as well as the radio.

223 A.U.

Humans Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko found Marvel Comics.

224 A.U.

First appearance of Captain Terra in Marvel Comics.

260 A.U.

First nuclear reactor is created, giving birth to the Mark 15 Magitech Generator*.

290 A.U.

First chemical rocket breaks the atmosphere

299 A.U.

First Terran enters space at the change of the year, marking the next age.

1 E.S.A (Early Space Age)

First Terran Spaceflight to Luna, headed by Malakai*, the first Terran on the Moon. Mass celebration at the first person to land on another celestial body.

20 E.S.A

Beginning of the Marvel Cinematic universe.

26 E.S.A

First Terran spaceflight to Hextor, considered to have nearly as much gravity and significance as the Luna landing.

29 E.S.A

Partially automated temporary mining operations begin on Hextor, and work is being made to establish a colony on Luna.

31 E.S.A

First permanent Hextor mining operation begins.

32 E.S.A

Development of the Mark 1 Magitech Bio-Synthesizer* is completed, solving any theoretical food problems.

40 E.S.A

Permanent Hextor colony of Mikhail-1* established, with a population of 220, 200 of which are sapient undead.

44 E.S.A

In a comic book series, Marvel studios explores the idea of asteroid mining, bringing them into range of mining operations of Hextor.

45 E.S.A

A series of projects involving asteroid mining are put in place. Asteroids XR-671-D XA-193-G and SXF-253-A are dragged by automated spacecraft into orbit around Hextor, functioning as moons and mining deposits.

In honor of the idea created by Marvel, the three asteroids are named Kirby-1*, Ditko-1*, and Stan-1*

56 E.S.A

The colony Mikhail-1 becomes self sufficient with a total population of 503, 250 of which are undead.

Development of experimental Magitech Stellar Engines* are completed, resulting in a series of nuclear powered ion engines, known as the Mark 1 Magitech Sub Light Drive*.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is released by Marvel studios.

60 E.S.A

The first AI is successfully created, and has the intelligence of a 10 month old human child.

73 E.S.A

The first AI has attained the intelligence of an average 24 year old human. In response to this, a bill of rights for Artificial Sentient Intelligences* is drafted and expected to easily pass through the government.

In either a show of comedy, bad taste or a sick joke, the first AI has decided to name itself Ultron*, and insists its primary body be redesigned to that of Ultron Prime from the second avenger film.

The staff in his facility are getting nervous.

100 E.S.A

Ultron has joined the military out of his own accord, and has shown impressive abilities and admirable loyalty and compassion for the crew.

A theory that FTL Technology could work is proven, but extensive testing is still required, as well as a new power source, as the current Mark 20 Magitech Generator does not output enough energy at once.

120 E.S.A

A colony is established on Taris*, a moon in orbit around Erathis. The colony is established in order to conduct highly sensitive experiments, mainly revolving around genetic manipulation, nanotechnology, advanced magitech, and FTL technology.

Ultron has personally endorsed the creation of more AI, leading to the second, who named herself Evetta*.

130 E.S.A

First working example of Magi-Nanotech* that will not be reject by living bodies.

152 E.S.A

Experiments with possible FTL technology accidentally produces dark antimatter, something though to be impossible. Unfortunately, the resulting explosion not only destroys the research station, but manages to shave off about 25 percent of the moons total mass and volume.

160 E.S.A

In a second research station built in the new crater on Taris, dark antimatter is synthesized, and an advanced series of self sustaining stasis fields and time alteration magic allow the resulting explosion to be contained. With the dark antimatter contained for the time, very extensive research is done.

162 E.S.A

It is found that in the explosion, dark antimatter is converted into a substance called Dark Plasma*. This substance is shown to be able to be contained in advanced magitech containers designed to contain it.

More research begins.

170 E.S.A

A prototype device that could theoretically clone matter is created, but a power source capable of powering it is not currently available.

174 E.S.A

Passing a concentrated electrical current through Dark Plasma seems to refine it into a more usable form that allows for directed use and consumption.

180 E.S.A

The matter synthesis device is activated and powered using Refined Dark Plasma*. It is first used to duplicate a steel ingot. Results are successful.

200 E.S.A

A sub-type of the wildly successful Magitech Matter Duplicator* is formed, and is capable of duplicating contained energy, now allowing for infinite Refined Dark Plasma. This Magitech Energy Replicator* will be the true catalyst for the Terran Empires next stage.

Now with infinite energy and infinite mass at their beck and call, the Terran Empire can begin interstellar testing.

210 E.S.A

With the creation of the Magitech Ion Drive*, trips around the Solus system are very easy and cheap to make, and with the mass replicators, starships become as commonplace as cars, and previously untouched planets become chartered, explored and examined by a new civilian fleet.

AI and their new forms are now omnipresent within the Terran Empire, in the form of Robots*, Androids*, Synths*, and Droids*. Their work in the robotics fields are invaluable, especially their contribution to the creation of prosthetics, artificial organs and Cyborgs*.

250 E.S.A

Creation of the Magitech Mass Synthesizer* further solidifies colonies self reliance.

Magi-nanotech is perfected, and the Terran Empire is now able to halt the aging process completely, and even reverse it to an extent.

270 E.S.A

A new theory of FTL travel is presented. Given the new technology, massive amounts of time and effort are divested in it.

1 S.A (Space Age)

FTL Travel is finally cracked. Using a mixture of advanced magic, technology and magitech, the creation of the Magitech Warp Drive* is created, opening countless doors to the Terran Empire.

20 S.A.

On a system a few stars away from Solus, an exploration team discovers the remains of an ancient civilization that called themselves Protheans.

Through archeological digs and magic translation spells, the team learn about a new threat. The Reapers. They learn about the citadel, what happened to the Protheans and their Mass Relays.

The team signs a Non Disclosure Agreement. King Acererak is informed, and begins directing significant increases in military power and spending in preparation.

They also discover the mass relays, as well as knowledge of element zero. However, it ha a very adverse reaction to magic, as it somehow weakens the arcane bonds holding the magic energy together.

A use is found in the Mass Relays however, as their activation significantly speeds up exploration and system charting.

1000 S.A.

Asari activate the citadel, awakening the Reapers to watch over the current cycle.

The Terran Empire continues to explore and expand.

1327 S.A.

The Citadel Council is formed, being composed of the Salarian and Asari.

1398 S.A.

The Rachni war begins.

1405 S.A.

In an attempt to fight the Rachni, the Salarians uplift the Krogan as a military force. With the Krogan on the side of the council the war turns in their favor, and the Rachni are driven away, thought to be exterminated.

1407 S.A.

The Terran Empire discovers another cache of Prothean data, which goes in depth into the properties of reapers, specifically indoctrination.

The Terran Empire prepares for the worst.

1540 S.A.

The Krogan rebellions begin another war, this time getting the Turians involved, and they fight for the council against the Krogans.

1587 S.A.

The Salarians release the Genophage, forcing and end to the Krogan Rebellion.

1729 S.A.

The Geth War begins.

1790 S.A.

The Geth War ends.

1999 S.A.

The Terran Empire prepares to activate Relay 314.

2000 S.A.

First Contact.

Codex

Paladin: An order of holy knights, known for their use of light based holy and divine magic, as well as being effective against undead and demonic opponents

Zombie: A mindless, basic form of reanimated humanoid; standard undead being that still possesses flesh and was reanimated recently (1-12 years of death)

Skeleton: A mindless, basic form of reanimated humanoid; standard undead being that no longer possess flesh, having being reanimated after considerable time (12+ years of death)

Ghoul: A more advanced form of undead, as they are not mindless like zombies.

Morgh: The skeletal animated corpse of a malevolent humanoid that died without atoning for their crimes. Possess a long tongue like tentacle, which can be used in a paralyzing touch grapple.

Wight: A more advanced form of undead, given life through sheer violence and hatred. Capable of draining the life of living victims and transforming them into wights themselves.

Wraith: An advanced, semi corporeal undead, resembling a mass of dark smoke with red eyes. Capable of draining the life of living victims.

Vampire: An advanced form of undead, known for their red eyes, fangs, thirst for blood, aversion to sunlight and ability to transform into clouds of bats, as well as command them.

Dracolich: A catch all term for reanimated members of the dragon family (dragons, drakes, wyverns etc.) that have been reanimated as undead. Arguably the most dangerous undead besides liches.

Lethorian: The former capital of Faerun, the sight of the last battle of the War to End All Wars; The Battle for The Soul of Terra

Dead Legion: The name given to the army led by Dread Lord Acererak before he untied Terra; composed almost exclusively of undead.

Terran Empire: The unified pseudo monarchical government of the planet Terra, which eventually expanded and grew. Ruled by King Acererak of Terra.

War to End All Wars: The name given to the planetwide conflict between the People of Terra and Dread Lord Acereraks Dead Legion.

First Unified Generation: The first generation of people and beings born immediately after the war; widely known to be accepting and progressive.

Reformation Accords: A series of sweeping reformations and civil laws which outlawed slavery officially, halted government corruption, provided equal rights for a multitude of species and organised aid programs.

Dwarf: A humanoid species known for their stoutness, impressive beards, and an infamous reputation as craftsman, smiths and builders. Have an impressive ability to detect gemstones and precious metals within a 50 meter radius when underground, as well as any underground cavities that may be present in the same radius.

Elf: A humanoid species known for their tall, slim and willowy figures, pointed ears, long hair and skill as silversmiths and attunement with nature. Their skills with ranged weapons and affinity for lightweight armaments make them impressive foret warriors. Their skill in magic is as diverse as their people, which are made up of Wood Elves, Dark Elves, High Elves, Blood Elves, and Night Elves.

Half-Elf: A humanoid species native to Terra, with one parent being human and the other being Elven.

Human: A humanoid species native to Terra, evolved from less advanced primates and known for their versatility and adaptability. Stronger and stouter than elves but taller and slimmer than dwarves. All around skilled magic users and smiths, but normally not able to outperform dwarves and elves in their specialties.

Artificial Sentient Intelligences: A sentient, sapient self sustaining thinking program; AI.

Robot: An AI with a purely mechanical physical body.

Cyborg: An organic with mechanical implants and/or prosthetics. This also includes synthetic organs.

Android: An AI designed to look like an organic on the surface, but still composed of mechanical parts.

Synth: An AI designed to look and function exactly like an organic, with synthetic muscular tissue, bones and body.

Droid: Basic, military designated non sapient VI robot; non-sentient artificial intelligence.

Lightning Elemental: A form of elemental, being a corporeal, sentient and sapient collection of magical lighting and energy.

Hand Cannon: This is two things. The first is the original firearm, a miniaturized, black powder flintlock, as well as being a class of firearm, the Hand Cannons, which refer to very large and powerful handguns.

Magitech: The catch all term for the mixing of technology and magic

Magitech Generators: A series of magitech machines turned generators and the primary line of magitech machines capable of producing infinite energy. Marks 1-10 use steam power, Marks 11-14 use electrical power, Marks 15-20 use nuclear power, and the Marks 21 onward use Refined Dark Plasma.

Magitech Bio-Synthesizer: A magitech variant of a 3-d printer that can convert inorganic materials into organic compounds, allowing food to literally be made from rocks.

Magitech Mass Synthesizer: A magitech machine that allows incredibly complex objects to be created from just their raw components, such as computer chips out of a bag of minerals. This allows colonies to easily survive without reliance on external help and manufacturing.

Magitech Stellar Engine: The catch all term for any magitech engine used by spacecraft.

Magitech Sublight Drive: A series of magitech engines incapable of propelling ships past lightspeed.

Magitech Ion Drive: A magitech engine that uses Refined Dark Plasma to create a stream of highly charged particles that are forced out the engine at incredible speeds, moving the ship forward. However, they produce a mildly radioactive byproduct, countered with a few simple neutralization spells.

Magitech Warp Drive: The primary method of FTL travel in the Terran Empire. In short, the Warp Drive uses powerful magic generators powered by Refined Dark Plasma to tear portals in spacetime, essentially allowing the drive to open one end of a wormhole, close it, travel through what is called Subspace, and then open another hole where they want, exiting Subspace.

Magi-Nanotech: Nanotech developed in conjunction with Magitech

Magitech Matter Duplicator: A magitech device powered by Refined Dark Plasma; capable of duplicating matter.

Magitech Energy Replicator: A magitech device that can duplicate energy.

Gun: The term used to define any weapon that propels a form of offensive projectile toward an enemy. Also the name of Jorgen Hall's invention.

Battery: The catch all term used for any device that captures and stores some form of energy for later use. Invented by Elran Battery.

Jorgen Hall: Dwarven craftsmen and scientist that created the first practical handheld gun, a flintlock.

Elran Battery: Head of an elven research team responsible for creating the first method of storing a form of energy with magitech, known as the 'Battery'.

Elak: A lightning elemental who volunteered his body for research, helping to create the first Battery. Eventually married to Triscity Saun.

Triscity Saun: A human mage who performed an invaluable series of tests on the lightning elemental Elak, the research from which has allowed for an incredible understanding of what becomes known as Elak-Triscity, eventually becoming Electricity. Eventually married to Elak.

Samuel Colt: A human engineer who created the first single and double action revolver.

Mikhail: Legendary paladin from the War to End All Wars, known as the only paladin ever to survive single combat with Dread Lord Acererak.

Malakai: Descendant of Mikhail, a paladin during the War to End All Wars. Known for being the first Terran on Luna.

Ultron: The first true artificial intelligence created by the Terran Empire.

Evetta: The second artificial intelligence created by the Terran empire, leading to the new race of machines.

Colt M150: A double action revolver created in the year 150 A.U. by Samuel Colt.

Repeater Rifle: The first lever action rifle created by the Terran Empire.

Dark Plasma: A plasma like substance and nigh uncontrollable power source created in the reactions bred from dark antimatter.

Refined Dark Plasma: A refined dark plasma that powered the Terran empire into the age of FTL.

Solus: The star in the center of the Terran Empire's home system; Solus

Avandra: The small rocky planet closest to the star Solus; Solus-1. Named after the old goddess of change, luck and travel.

Sune: A planet similar in size to Terra, but covered in a thick atmosphere of gases; Solus-2. Named after the old goddess of love.

Terra: Primary Planet of the Terran Empire, a rocky planet in the Solus system, and the only planet in the Solus system to originally harbor life. Solus-3

Luna: The moon of Terra. Solus-3a

Hextor: A planet similar in size to Terra, known for its iron rich environment and coloration which earned it the nickname, 'The Red Planer'. Named after the old god of war. Solus-4.

The Bahamut Ring: A series of asteroids in the Solus system that are located immediately after Hextor. Named after the metallic dragon god.

Erathis: A massive gas giant in the Solus system, known for both its size and large red maelstrom on its surface; named after the old goddess of civilization and law. Solus-5

Corellon: A large gas giant in the Solus system, known for its impressive rings, known as the Rings of Corellon. Named after the old goddess of beauty.

Ioun: A gas planet in the Solus system, known for its strange axial rotations. Named after the old goddess of Knowledge. Solus-7

Kord: A gas planet in the Solus system, known for its extremly strong winds. Named after the old god of storms. Solus-8

Velsharoon: A very small rocky planet in the solus system, named after an old goddess of death. Solus-9

Taris: A moon in orbit around Erathis, site of the dark antimatter research operations.

Kirby-1, Ditko-1, Stan-1: Three asteroid in orbit around Hexar; part of the first large scale asteroid mining operation.

Mikhail-1: The first self sustaining colony on Hextor, named after a legendary paladin from the War to End All Wars.


	2. Chapter 1: First Contact

General Desolas Arterius was getting bored. They had been patrolling this system for possible hostiles, as the Hierarchy had found out the relay in this system, Relay 314, had been activated. Fearing the worst, they had sent General Desolas as a patrol force, intent on finding out who or what had activated the relay.

"Sir!" One of the turian technicians at the scanners shouted, grabbing the Generals attention, "We're detecting something!"

"I want to get a read on it and alert the rest of the patrol force,"Arterius snapped back to attention, deadly serious once again, "I want to know exactly what is coming through that relay."

"Sir we can't get anything off the relay, it's not in use." The turian squinted at the holographic screen, "Something's coming _near_ the relay, showing an unknown energy signature."

' _I swear if the Salarians are experimenting with advanced ship tech, I'll_ -' Desolas was dragged out of his thoughts by something outside the ship's main window. In a small flash of light, a tiny, swirling vortex of bright blue energy phased itself into existence. Within a few seconds, the vortex had expanded to a much larger size, and something began to emerge from it.

"Sir there's a ship coming through!" Another turian shouted.

" _No shit_ ' Deolas thought.

"We have a full image of the ship sir."

"Good," Desolas began to observe as the blue swirling vortex closed behind the lone ship, "I want every possible scan run through it, and hail it as soon as possible, we need to know who this is."

The design was completely alien. The vessel was a mixture of blocky, angular and smooth, with a vaguely rectangular central core, a smooth underbelly and angular overlays covering up large portions. It was armed with a not so insignificant amount of weapons, but most importantly to Desolas was the spinal mounted cannon.

"Sir, our scanners are unable to penetrate the ships hull, its protected by some sort of energy field, nothing like our kinetic barriers. So far, all we know is the ship measures about 140 meters."

"Hold your fire, keep the guns trained on it and monitor all communications." Desolas ordered, praying to Palaven that the other patrol craft wouldn't do something stupid.

As he was giving orders and sending a message back to the Hierarchy, the ship gave off a purple shimmer, which was clearly visible to the turian ships.

"Sir, the energy barriers are down, what should we do."

"Desolas, this vessel has lowered it shields and I have a perfect firing solution towards it, what are you ordered?" Before Arterius could answer the technician, another one of the turian ships chimed in.

"Hold your fire, we don't know what this ship is capable of-"

"Which is exactly why we should bring it down." The third patrol vessel interrupted, "This is almost perfect. New technology, and a chance to show these people that the Turiana are not to be taken lightly. We _need_ to punish them, you all know that there is a serious penalty for opening Relays without Council permission."

"..." Desolas knew they were right. The Council had strict laws in place, laws that the Turian Hierarchy were bound to uphold. He knew what he had to do, but that didn't make it sit easier with him.

"Fire at the enemy ship, shoot to disable, not destroy, we need it intact and its crew alive," Desolas folded his hands behind his back, "Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

The three ships watched with bated breath as Desolas's vessel, the Hunters Pride, launched a Mass Accelerator Slug at the unknown ship, aiming for the engines on the back of it. The ship was turned, their broadside facing Hunters Pride, making for an easy shot.

What they weren't expecting was the ship to begin a turn at a surprising speed, even for a smaller ship. The slug still managed to make contact, grazing the starboard bow, giving the ship a gentle nudge. After another purple shimmer, Desolas fired again, and watched as the slug collided with a barrier of some kind. Where the slug struck, there was a bright flare around the ship, briefly illuminating the barrier, showing it again to be almost like a 'skin tight' suit for the ship.

As the ship continued to turn, it let out a blast of its own from a mounted cannon, leasing a fast moving, bright green projectile, that flew across the space between the opposing forces and slammed into the kinetic barrier of the Hunters Pride, producing an explosion.

"Sir," A technician shouted at Desolas, "Kinetic barriers down to 70%!"

"Fire again, try and disable their engines, alert the others."

"Sir it fired again!" This time it was a blast from the spinal mounted cannon. This weapon released a large, swirling ball of what looked like orange and red plasma. Fortunately, this shot missed the Hunters Pride, and smacked into the ship off to the port side of Desolas. The ball mostly ignored the kinetic barrier, only slowing down slightly, before smashing into the hull, searing through GARDIAN systems and quite a few layers of armor.

"What the hell was that!"

"Thank the spirits that wasn't us…"

"Sir, the ship is opening another...uh...whatever that is!" The turian in question pointed out the window at the large, blue vortex that was currently enveloping the ship, before disappearing entirely.

"Hunters Pride to Veltius, damage report!"

"Still operating, although now missing a few GARDIAN lasers and a couple layers of armor. We need to go after them, that kind of technology could be disastrous to fight against long term."

"Preparing to use the Relay."

* * *

"Captain! The enemy vessel is firing at us!" A technician shouted.

"Bastards!" Telron gripped his command chair hard enough to crack it, "We lower our shields in a gesture of peace, and they attack?"

"What do we do sir?" An elven crewmember asked.

"Prepare an entrance to Subspace*, and get me a firing solution on the lead ship."

As they were speaking, another attack struck the ship, glancing off their energy shield.

"Solution acquired."

"Fire a Pharon Missile*, target their spinal cannon."

"Firing!"

The cannon fired, and the green, plasma coated missile shot toward the ship, screaming through empty space, until it detonated, causing the blue corona surrounding the enemy ships to flutter slightly as the green blast faded.

"Negative impact sir, it's protected by some sort of energy field." A dwarven weapons operator shouhed.

"Fire the primary Plasma Caster*, target the ship off our port side, aim for the hull."

"Firing!"

The spinal mounted cannon barked, launching a swirling orb of red and orange plasma at the port side ship. As the ball made contact with the enemy shields, it faltered slightly, slowing down, but ultimately passing through.

"Positive impact sir, the energy field was ineffective."

' _They must only be using kinetic barriers,'_ Telron briefly debated attempting to destroy the alien vessels, ' _If we were prepared, we could take them, but they already managed to damage one of our Ion Drives.'_

As the plasma dissipated, the warp drive opened the portal to subspace, and the ion engines pushed the ship through, sealing the portal behind it, and heading back to the relay they came from, knowing the aliens would no doubt be using their own form of FTL travel.

* * *

Callern was a very content beastkin*. He had lived the last dozen decades of his life on The Wage*. Hungering for more in his life, he had joined the Terran Stellar Navy, and eventually found himself as a security detail in a far flung system on board a scientific vessel, monitoring an alien construct.

Callern loved life offworld. The wide, yawning majesty of space, alien planets, nebulas, supermassive stars. The sights were incredible, and he constantly sent pictures and videos back to his parents and siblings on Hextor.

While the eggheads were poking around with it, it somehow activated, and sensors simultaneously registered a ping, a considerable amount of light years away. Using the two points, the construct on their side and the unknown ping, a vessel had been sent through, just as a simple recon craft.

However, when the recon craft, a small ship named the T.E.* Siaac dropped back out of subspace calling for a red alert and claiming they had encountered hostile aliens, Callern started to get understandably nervous.

He shouldn't have, he reasoned to himself. He was well trained, well armed, clever, and skilled enough in pyromancy* to hold his own. But he had no real idea what the aliens were capable of.

With the red alert up across the system, Callern flicked the safety off his firearm, a Model 8 Helmar Assault Rifle*, and checked his sheath, making sure his SI Longsword* was with him. Tapping a few quick buttons on his wrist mounted tablet, his Mark 17 R-SEC Exosuit** powered up, the dual Mark 28 Magitech Micro RDP Generators* located in the backpack was turned off standby, letting the metal skeleton attached to his BDU* enhancing his already impressive natural abilities. Additional clamps locked down, attaching to his elbows and knees, in addition to his wrists and ankles, and locking onto the Selectively Magnetic Strips* on his BDU.

The Determiner, the science research vessel Callern was stationed on, was unarmed, barely armored, and not equipped with a warp drive. And as such, would be an incredibly easy target for any vessel.

As the ship began to power up its ion engines, the alien construct gave a bright flash of light, and three alien ships, each measuring about 250 meters long, dropped into space around it.

The three quickly surrounded The Determiner, as the small ship was only around 100 meters long, and began drawing a firing solution. Callern gulped.

* * *

"Fire!" Desolas ordered, intent on taking the remains of at least one ship with him. As the three patrols began attacking with mass accelerator rounds, the turian noticed something wrong. Not only was it not returning fire, it didn't even seem to be equipped with weapons, and the purple shield present on the other craft wasn't making an appearance. The weird situation only got stranger as his communications officer relayed him a message.

"Sir," the turian stood at attention, before giving the general her report, "The alien ship appears to be hailing us."

"Put it through, lets hope they know how to surrender." Desolas couldn't help but let his pride swell at the completed mission. They had successfully halted unregulated expansion, and were now about to capture a hostile alien vessel.

" _Khhhs_ -broadcasting through all chan- _kshh_ -nels, we are being attacked by a hostile alien rac- _BOOM_ , shit, you two, make sure that didn't breach the engine room, and someone put out that fire! _BOOM_ " The resounding bangs from the turian assault and the crackle of the damaged radio were breaking up the audio from the injured ship.

"Who are you, and how do you speak Turian?" Deoslas questioned.

"Advanced- _ksssh-_ Translation Spell*- _BOOM-_ Please cease fire! The Determiner is an unarmed research vessel we have- _BOOM BOOM-_ civilians onboard, cease fire!"

Just as Desolas raced to halt the attack, a well placed shot from the ship off of his starboard side ripped through what must have been something important, causing an explosion to tear through a few rooms of the ship, sending debris and shrapnel in all directions.

"CEASE FIRE IMMEDIATELY, THERE ARE CIVILIANS ON BOARD!" Desolas all but screamed through the intercom and to the other ship, who scrambled to stop all guns from firing. As he desperately tried to scan the ship for life forms, a turian on the scanners gained his attention.

"Sir, we've detected an unconscious lifeform in space, just a few hundred meters from the alien ship."

"Can we catch them in the hanger?"

"It's possible sir."

"Do it. We need to know who we've just provoked into war." Desolas

* * *

Callern was furious. He had shouted, pleaded with the aliens, told them it was a non combat vessel, and they still managed to blow him out of the ship. Looking around, he saw what must have been some sort of hanger, and a light circle of five aliens surrounding him.

They were strange looking, with some form of light carapace, mandibles and backwards facing spikes, all of which complemented their angular style of uniform. Their guns were strange, being very blocky, and seemed to be made of too many separate parts to be very durable.

Acting on instinct, Callern aimed his carbine at the closest avian/insectoid looking alien, prompting them to speak.

"Drop the gun, alien, and come quietly." One of them said, aiming their gun at him. Already, scans from Callerns Hud* had told him that there was a 97 percent chance that he could decapitate one of these aliens with a horizontal neck strike.

Callern slowly lowered his hands, aiming the gun toward the ground, then releasing his forward hand from the forward grip. Seeing one of the aliens nod in approval, he smirked underneath his faceplate as he flung the gun toward the alien directly to his right while sending two kicks to the one on his left, snapping a knee backwards and cracking its gun. As the main ones aim snapped back on him, he darted forward, driving a knee into the aliens stomach, or whatever was in roughly the same spot.

Seeing it kneel over in pain, he swung his body around it as an alien opened fire, unleashing a stream of very high velocity rounds into his back. Feeling his armor start to give, he swung around the alien using it like a shield as the others continued fire, unintentionally peppering their friend with strange ammunition.

Seeing the captive aliens personal shield flicker, they stopped, as Callern delivered another knee to its back, producing an audible cracking noise as its spine bent at a weird angle. Booting the body forward, Callern focused on the one he'd thrown the gun at, sending an exoskeleton enhanced open hand chop to where a collarbone would be, followed by two hooks to the abdomen and a final chop to the neck, putting it on the ground.

Hearing the sound of automatic fire and feeling a few rounds punch through the unarmored BDU he wore and dig into his flesh, Callern activated the High Strength Collapsible Polymer Shield* stored in the left forearm of his exosuit, which was only marked with a series of scrapes on the clear plastics surface. His suits Magitech Atmospheric Exo-Thrusters* gave him a boost toward one of the remaining aliens, and he rammed into it, before re-collapsing the shield and giving it a very substantial uppercut, followed by an elbow to the chin and a slam into the ground, knocking it out before the shock from its shattered jaw could even register.

It turned to another alien with a gun, delivering a spinning round kick to the temple, sending it sliding across the floor, dead or unconscious, Callern couldn't care at the moment.

With another loud bang, Callern felt another alien projectile tear through the armor on the back of his lower thing, ripping through muscle and embedding itself in bone. Supressing a yell of pain, Callern grimmaced and turned his attention to the alien, who's gun had just started emitting smoke. Instead of cooling it with some basic aquamancy, the insectoid avian dropped it to the ground and extended a glowing orange blade from a wrist mounted device and holding its free hand out in a grip. As a blueish purple glow surrounded the aliens hand, Callern felt a force lift him into the air, holding him in place.

"This is your last chance to come quietly you barbaric primitive." The alien spat at Callern, practically daring him to attack. That sent pissed him off. Barbaric? Possibly. But primitive? Just hearing something that couldn't even be more than 4 decades old talk down to him like that? It was just infuriating, and he could already feel his furry ears flattening on top of his head and his tail bristling at this things words.

He was a beastkin damn it, and a Wolf-kin* as well, and his pride wouldn't let this alien best him. Releasing a Sonic Disruption Pulse* from his exo suit, Callern forced the alien to release him, and use its hands to clutch its ears for a moment or two. The second his boots touched the ground, the wolf drew his sword, and swung vertically. He was somewhat surprised when the alien managed to block his strike with its orange holographic arm blade.

"What? How did you block an omni-blade?" Apparently, this surprised the alien as well.

"Enchanted crucible steel," Callern leaned in for emphasis, "dickhead."

"Dickhead?" The alien muttered, mostly to itself before making a strange squawking sound and ducking, dodging a horizontal swipe from the wolf-kin and retaliating with a swipe from its omni-blade, which was parried by the blade of the longsword.

After blocking two more slashes from Callern, the alien thrust its free hand out towards the wolf-kin, sending a wave of purplish blue energy toward the beastkin. Allowing his armor and exosuit to tank the damage, Callern retaliated immediately after with his own freehanded magic; pyromancy. A jet of searing orange flame blasted forth from his open palm toward the alien, who was unprepared for the onslaught, and found itself caught in the searing flames.

It quickly rolled out of the way though, undamaged save for a few scorch marks. However, as soon as an enchanted steel longsword buried itself in the aliens shoulder, did it realize the fire jet was just a distraction, allowing Callern to move forward. Placing both hands on the grip of the sword, Callern lifted it out of the aliens shoulder, and gave a low diagonal swipe, taking its leg off at the knee, and a final horizontal swipe as it fell.

Callern flicked the blue alien blood off his blade as the aliens mandibled head rolled to a halt a couple feet from its body. After sheathing the sword, Callern hissed in pain as he used his combat knife to dig a few shards of metal, none larger than a grain of sand, put of his leg. A necessary evil, as his nanomachines would just heal the wound around it were he not to remove the bullet, sealing the metal in his leg.

Recalibrating his exo suit to assist him in a walk, Callern picked up his gun and began making his way through the alien ship.

* * *

"Spirits above..." Desolas gasped as he watched the security footage, and saw a lone alien eliminate the soldiers he'd sent to contain it. They assumed that once it was on a hostile ship, surrounded by soldiers, it would give up.

Once the alien had taken down the soldiers, it picked up its gun, and began making its way into the ship. Already, it had taken down another two soldiers, overwhelming their kinetic barriers with ease as its gun spat automatic fire. Viewing the video in still frames, he could see that the alien wasn't even using mass accelerator technology, apparently operating using gas blowback and solid metallic slugs to achieve automatic fire.

Primitive, yet brutally effective was the only way to describe this aliens combat style. Gunpowder bullets, physical shields, even a metal sword were all used to monstrous effect. To make things even worse, every time the alien ejected a magazine from its gun-box magazines? Seriously what year was it?-it simply pulled another from a small bag on its hip, which looked physically impossible.

The sound of a mass alccelerator shotgun blasted through the radio, and Desolas saw the aliens entire torso jerk back as a turian shotgun clipped it.

He then watched as it slapped a gun out of the turians hand and gave a punch with its right, the mechanized exo suit it was wearing probably enhancing its strength several magnitudes.

With a heavy sigh, he opened the audio channels, and spoke.

* * *

Even without an exosuit, beastkin are significantly stronger than humans, elves and dwarves. But with an exosuit, their impressive strength only gets more lethal, as the alien currently about to be sandwiched between a metal ringed fist and a spaceship wall was about to find out.

The effect of the punch was similar to what one would encounter when they throw a glass ball filled with tomato sauce and spaghetti at a brick wall.

 _Crunch._

Callern withdrew his fist from the remains of the aliens head, wiping the viscera off as best he could with his other hand, grimacing as he wiped it on the aliens uniform. He grunted as pain wracked his entire right arm while he stuck his left hand down his Bag of Holding*, withdrawing a small canister of Medigel*, which he intended to use on his right, where one of the aliens had gotten a serious shot off, the point blank shotgun blast tearing through his shoulder. His nanomachines had already started stopping the bleeding, but it would be up to him to patch it up.

Magnetically clamping his carbin over his shoulder, Callern gave a few taps on his wrist mounted tablet. His R-SEC Polymer Helmet* deactivated, the faceplate folding into separate plates and sliding back over the top of his head into a compartment on the neck of his armor. The remaining parts of the helmet, which covered everything but his face, detached from his head and folded up into the suits neck, giving him a taste of the alien ship.

The air was breathable, but a little stale, and the smell of gunpowder was faintly present. Hearing the speakers above him crackle to life, Callern quickly drew his carbine from over his shoulder and snapping his aim down the hallway, canine ears twitching and attempting to gain any extra information.

* * *

The alien was very strange to look at. It had the same look of an asari, with two eyes, a nose and a mouth, but possessed a masculine quality no asari had. Its skin was a light shade of pink instead of the asari blue. On its head was not a series of tentacles like an asari, but a thick, coat of greyish fur that formed a wild mess around its face. On it head were two large, triangular ears coated in a much shorter but thicker layer of grey fur.

Its piercing eyes were a bright shade of amber, and as the radio went on and the alien snapped to attention, aiming his gun down the hallway, Desolas could see a set of fairly substantial sharp teeth set in its mouth as it growled at the radio, ears twitching and folding close against its head.

"Unknown alien, lay your weapons down and surrender," Desolas spoke, "we will give you one last chance."

The alien gave a gesture with its left hand, where it raised only the middle finger on its hand, before shooting the camera.

"It seems its not listening to us."

* * *

"No way in the Nine Hells* am I listening to those fuckers." Callern growled to himself as he rounded a corner, opening fire on a lone alien, grinning in satisfaction as its kinetic barriers were overwhelmed and it was forced to hide behind a wall.

Callern fished out a Mark 10 Thermal Detonator*, cranked the dial to three seconds and threw it down the hall. Hearing the detonator explode, the wolf-kin leapt out of cover and sprinted down the hall, firing his carbine, and watched as half a dozen powerful rounds blew a few holes in the aliens face and dropping it permanently.

He started running down the hall, and seeing a couple more aliens round the corner and open fire, he started runnign faster, adrenaline and glovesuit administered painkillers coursing through his body as high velocity sand sized projectiles ripped through his flesh, punching through his left forearm, right leg and one even lodging itself in his chest.

When he got closer, he activated his collapsible shield, and when he was only about a meter away, he gave a push with his thrusters. Barreling through the small force, he continued on, eventuslly rounding the corner.

Seeing another eight aliens running down the hall towards him, dressed in body armor, Callern ducked into the closest room he could find, and slumped against the wall slightly. Even with the iron will drilled into the forces of the Terran Empire, the hopelessness of the situation was still prevalent. Alone on an alien ship, in what is about to be a warzone, bleeding out from multiple serious wounds, with no backup whatsoever.

"This is Callern Torus, R-SEC for The Determiner, Identification code AJX3-2846-00294, can anyone read me?" He asked, trying his communication systems in vain, "I am onboard one of the enemy ships, I repeat, I am onboard one of the enemy ships. Can anyone read me? Over."

"Callern Torus AJX3-2846-00294, this is Salem System* LCCAMC*, do you copy?" A response crackled over his communicator after a minute or two, filling him with a sense of hope.

"I copy. Over." Callern replied.

"We are currently preparing a small scale defense force, and attempting to neutralize the enemy ships. Do you know which one you are on?" Mission control said to him.

"Negative. Any further orders? Over." Callern asked.

"Can you disable the ship?" They responded.

"Possibly...what would you suggest? Over."

"Current data shows all three vessels are currently moving. If you can disable the engine systems of the one you are on, we'll have a way to distinguish them." The person behind the communicator explained.

"Looking around," Callern gave the room a quick one over, seeing the large contraption in the middle. It was a large, spinning, glowing blue cylinder surrounded by a series of loops that all rotated at different speeds, as well as a wall of cable and terminals connecting it to the ship, "I think I might be in its engine room right now…"

"New orders. Prevent the ship from further travel by disabling the engines. If we can stop it from going FTL, we can disable it long enough for capture." Callern smiled at his new goal, and gave a small 'yes sir' into the comms.

"Now to shut down and FTL drive without making it go critical...great.." Callern grimaced at the task before him.

* * *

"What do you mean it locked itself in the engine room? These doors don't even have locks!" Desolas shouted into the radio, watching his men try vainly to pry open the bulkhead that locked them off.

"The alien destroyed the terminal as soon as we opened fire. The doors shut and we can't open it without demolishing the door." One of the soldiers explained.

"We need to get out of here five minute ago," Desolas shouted again as he watched the Veltius get blown to pieces by a new alien vessel, one measuring about 700 meters and blasting the turian ship apart with a hail of green explosives, "the alien's ships are more powerful than we anticipated." He said, as he watched another shot from a second 700 meter ship, this time firing a massive conical spike of metal wreathed in orange energy from a spinal mounted gun, splitting the ship in half at the middle, leaving the Hunters Pride alone.

He was just about to jump to FTL, and could see the glow as the mass effect field began to envelop the ship in blue energy, when there was a sound like a cap gun going off over the radio, and a massive shudder as the field abruptly shut down.

"Sir, the mass effect core is offline, the alien must have disabled it." A technician shouted up to the command chair, sweating profusely as he looked at the massive list of technical failures pouring into his console. "We have no way to leave the system. What do we do sir?"

"Immediate evasive ma-"There was a loud bang as the ship jolted forward again, and a new wave of technical failures flooded the bridge.

"What in the spirits was that?" Desolas demanded.

"Sir, half of our engines were just taken out, we can't outrun anything-."

"Sir," A communications worker interrupted, "We're being hailed by something."

"Patch it through."

"Done."

They waited for a few seconds with bated breath, the warning lights of engine failure and an offline eezo core throwing harsh glare around the command center. And to make things worse, Deslas hadn't heard from the soldiers he'd sent down to the engine room in a few minutes either.

"This is the T.E. Lastone," Came a booming, electronically altered voice, "surrender immediately or face annihilation."

"We have one of your soldiers here too," Desolas decided to try a bluff, "perhaps we can trade? Our freedom for your soldier."

"The abducted R-SEC officer you claim to have captive is currently regrouping with the boarding part we sent onboard. Surrender now or face annihilation." The voice spoke again.

"Boarding party, they never sent a boarding party on here…" Desolas muttered as he checked the scanners again. Right as he started checking his scanners, there was a third bang, and the voice returned.

"We are assuming your silence marks a surrender. Do not attempt to resist."

Desolas was silent.

* * *

"Fuck…" Callern groaned as he attempted to pick himself out of the wreckage of the engine room door before collapsing in pain, "That's definitely a rib or two broken…"

Disabling the engine had produced a sizeable explosion that blew him and the door across the hall, coincidentally crushing the alien soldiers that were trying to open it, and happily fucking his chest up. Something was not right, considering the extreme pain and the dificulty breathing that was making itself a problem.

He looked up, only to be greeted by the barrel of an alien gun. Just as he was about to try and reach his sidearm, there was a series of loud bangs, five in succession, and four bullets took down the shield the alien had, and the last one buried itself in the aliens shoulder, forcing it to drop its gun.

Callern was about to draw his own sidearm and finish it off, when a grey and black armored blur shot over him and landed on the alien. Shortly after, there was a sickening slicing noise, and the alien dropped to the ground, a slit throat leaking blue blood.

Callern was pulled to his feet by the person who saved him. Their helmet folded up and retracted back into the neck of their exosuit, allowing the wolf-kin to get a decent view of his savior.

She was quite attractive, with sharp features, rich forest green eyes and neck length rust red bobbed hair. She took a look at him, and noticed his hand clutching his chest, and frowned, emphasizing a small scar right under her lower lip. She pulled out a medigel syringe and injected it into his abdomen, intent on stopping the bleeding.

Callern gave her a weak nod of thanks, as she took a quick look over her back to make sure the hallway was clear, allowing the wolf-kin a look at her back. More specifically, the stiff, four foot long tail at the base of her spin that was covered in a black glovesuit and grey exosuit over that. Hearing two clicks on the floor, he looked down at the ground.

Her feet were those of some kind of lizard, with three digits, covered in a set of special articulated boots that were fit to that kind of saurian foot. The only notable feature about them was the long, curved sickle like claw that adorned the first digit of each foot, which had its own specialized curved blade covering, designed to enhance its cutting abilities.

Seeing the killing claw and the slashed alien throat, Callern put two and two together. She must be a velociraptor*, a species of vicious saurian pack hunting dinosaurs that originated from Terra. She gave him a quick pat on the back.

"You good, mate?" She asked, with an accent that Callern recognized as Aussie*, from the planet of the same name.

"Not really," Callern coughed, and then spat out a glob of red blood, "I think my ribs are shot…" Callern looked down the hall and saw three more people coming towards them.

"Probably." One of the newcomers, and elf probably, said as they examined Callerns side, "five fractures, seven breaks and a punctured lung. Thats not even touching the fifteen holes in you. What the hell happened here?"

"Orders were to disable their FTL systems," Callern gestured to the smoking engine thing in the room, "But it didn't really like a few well placed bullets and a longsword in the console, so it blew me out the room and fucked up this door." He motioned to the crumpled steel door behind him.

"Well you did it," Another newcomer said, retracting their helmet, allowing everyone to see that they were human, "you're lucky it didn't go critical and blow us halfway to Hell."

"Yes we are, but we have new orders," The final person said, their retracted helmet showing themselves as half-elven, "we need to secure the bridge and pacify any resistance."

"Any intel on the aliens?" The half-elf asked Callern.

"Not much," Callern winced at his injured, well, everything, "Basic kinetic shields of some sort, but weird weapons."

"How so?" The elf asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Weirdly big and bulky for how underwhelming their firepower is, but they fire fast, so good luck dodging the rounds."

"Can you fight?" The velociraptor asked, motioningnto Callerns legs, earnign a short, sharp mocking laugh from the wolf-kin, followed by an almost comically dog like whine of pain as his nanomachines continued repairing nerve damage.

"I can barely walk," Callern then motioned to his exo suit, "this things is essentially proping me up right now."

"Then stay behind us mate."

"Alright, form up," The human barked, equipping his helmet and stepping in front of the group and activating his SM Particle Shield*, the barrier casting an orange glow over the hall.

"We've got a ship to take."

* * *

"Sir they're almost at the bridge," A security officer told Desolas, "what should we do?"

Now ordinarily, Desolas would have fought tooth and nail if there was even a chance to defeat an opponent. And while it was theoretically possible that him and his crew could defeat this boarding party, the two, no, three (now that Desolas took another look out the window) 700 meter long ships surrounding him would be more than able to bring his ship down.

Hearing a bang, and turning around to the door, Desolas and the rest of the bridge saw a vaguely boot shaped dent, followed by some swearing and clearly angry muttering.

 _'Perhaps_ ,' the turian thought, ' _it would be best to surrender…'_

* * *

"So…" Callern piped up from the back of the group, trying to make small talk while they traversed the corridors of the ship, "Who are you guys?"

"We're from the T.E. Lastone, there by blind luck when they called for a boarding party." The human in the lead with the particle shield said.

"I kinda meant, like…names and stuff," Callern suppressed another pained yell by gritting his teeth for a second as the nanomachines in his body fixed a previously torn nerve, sending a spike of pain through his chest, "If we're gonna be gunning down a bunch of aliens, I'd like to know who I'm hunting with."

"Well I'm Veron," The half elf said, "and this is Elran, the human up front is Charwin, and the velociraptor is Kalyah." Veron said, pointing to the elf, human and velociraptor beastkin respectively, all gave waves, except for Charwin, who stayed focused and stoic.

"I'm Callern, nice to-"

"Hey, zip it back there! We're at the door." Charwin said, before deactivating his particle shield. Taking point, Veron stepped forward and wound his leg back, readying a kick, before releasing it, planting his foot on the door. With a loud bang, the door suddenly had a large, boot shaped dent in it, and Elran found himself on the ground.

Grumbling and dragging him out of the way, Charwin performed his own kick, this time putting it directly on the hinge of the door. With a bang and a crash, the door flew off its hinges, and the human managed to activate his particle shield just in time to catch a few alien bullets, before the entire squad returned their own fire, a combination of their own powerful firearms and the particle walls bullet acceleration effect making short work of any and all armed aliens on the bridge.

"Put your hands in the air, now!" Veron shouted, and watched as the still living aliens slowly placed their hands above their heads, to which the half elf nodded.

Seeing the bridge pacified, Charwin opened up communications again.

"This is Sargent Charwin, we have control of the bridge, over." He said, waiting for a response from LCCAMC.

"We read you Sargent Charwin, this is LCCAMC, the T.E. Valiant Sun is en route to the alien ships position. Portal opening in three, two, one...opening." Hearing the mission control respond, Chawin looked out the starboard side of the alien ship, watching as a huge, yawning, swirling, blue vortex opening up and disgorge a massive ship, all sharp, with geometric angles formed around a central hexagonal tube, made to resemble something like an oversized shark, with a triangular fin on the top, two on the bottom, and a large pointed bow.

The ship, measuring about a kilometer long, opened a single hangar with a bright, white light shining in the blackness of space and gunmetal grey of the ship. With a gradual tug, the alien ship made a deep groaning noise as a series of Magitech Gravity Beams* slowly pulled it into the hanger.

Once the ship was in and settled on a landing area, the hanger doors closed with a weighty _ka-chunk_ , and yet another bang as the main entrance was forcibly opened. After a few minutes at gunpoint, the turians on the bridge were greeted with a veritable flood of aliens soldiers, all of varying heights, some with body features others didn't have, but all wearing the same style of black and grey digital camouflage BDU, grey metal exosuit and smooth, featureless polymer faceplate.

As he felt a pair of heavy, metal cuffs not only bind his wrist but completely encase his hands, and connect to another thick metal cuff around his neck through a metal shaft, Desolas gulped in fear.

He just hoped the Hierarchy wouldn't do something stupid.

* * *

Codex

Magitech Micro RDP Generator: A very portable, highly efficient miniaturized Magitech Refined Dark Plasma Generator used to power things like combat droids, exo suits and some energy weapons.

Exosuit: The catch all term for mechanically and/or magically powered metal skeletons that enhance the physical abilities of the wearer.

Sonic Disruption Pulse: An exo suit ability that sends out a loud wave of sound in nearly all hearing ranges, useful as a distraction, especially against those with external ears.

R-SEC Exosuit: An exo suit designed specifically for indoor use on research facilities; Research-SECurity.

Magitech Atmospheric Exo-Thrusters: Personal Magitech thrusters designed to work in an atmosphere, use airomancy to propel a stream of non-toxic gas out of a series of vents located all over an atmospheric exo suit. Less effective outside of the atmosphere.

Magitech Gravity Beam: The collective name for a series of devices commonly fitted on spacecraft that project concentrated and controllable beams of gravity to move objects. In extreme cases with the most powerful gravity beams, they can be used to physically tear apart ships, space stations and even planets, literally tearing apart physical matter, sometimes at the atomic scale.

HUD: A graphic display digitally projected onto the retinas of the user from the interior of their helmet or eyepiece. Shows valuable information like vitals, location, direction, weather conditions, time, date, ammunition count and basic strategic evaluation. Capable of wirelessly interfacing with any Terran Empire digital device. Heads Up Display.

Glovesuit: A skin tight undersuit worn directly beneath the BDU, which helps to regulate temperature and administer painkillers and medication if needed.

Selectively Magnetic Strips: Certain metallic portions of a BDU enhanced with magic to magnetically adhere to exosuits.

SM Particle Shield: A form of squad based defensive gear that generates a field in front of the user and any people behind them, providing a three meter long and two meter wide particle energy shield situated about a meter from the user. Its unique characteristic is its ability to deflect incoming kinetic fire, while amplifying the velocity of any outgoing kinetic fire. Selective Matter Particle Shield.

Pharon Missile: The primary explosive projectile used by the Terran Empire, consisting of an explosive charge enveloped in a plasma coat and propelled by an miniature ion drive.

Plasma Caster: the catch all term for any projectile weapon that fires balls of plasma

Model 8 Helmar Assault Carbine: The 8th model of the Helmar AC line, this is a select fire semi/automatic assault rifle designed for use in tight corridors. Chambered in 5.56x44mmTE*, it is a fast firing compact gun, useful in spaceships.

SI Longsword: A basic steel longsword, featuring a two handed grip, straight quillons, and circular pommel. Given out as highly versatile, entry level infantry weapons that is very easily enchanted; Standard Infantry Longsword.

5.56x44mmTE: The standard assault rifle and carbine round in the Terran Empire. It is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge used in the vast majority of Terran Empire Military guns.

High Strength Collapsible Polymer Shield: A collapsible personal shield stored in the forearms of many defense and security class exosuits. Often strengthened with magic.

Subspace: The location entered when a Magitech Warp Drive activates. Subspace is a perfect vacuum, being a vast, empty space with no naturally occuring matter. Despite being a much smaller space than actual space, they are both connected, allowing ships to skip large areas of normal space while in subspace.

Beastkin: The catch all term for humanoid members of the Terran Empire that bear non human features, most commonly ears and tails of animals species.

Wolf-kin: A common type of beastkin, being a human with furry canine ears on the top of their head and wolf like tails as well as sharper canines and a carnivorous diet. Their notable features are canine ears, tails, foot paws, enhanced sense of smell, resistance to cold and fur on their lower legs.

Velociraptor: An relatively uncommon type of beastkin with traits of a Velociraptor, a member of the dinosaur family. Velociraptor Beastkins notable features are their long, stiff tail used for balance, digitigrade legs, exceptional speed and their signature killing claw, a long, curved claw on the first digit of their foot used for extreme damage. Scaled legs, arms, tail, neck and back.

The Wage: A standard amount of money given to civilians of the Terran Empire, enough to live fairly comfortably.

T.E.: The abbreviation used in front of the names of naval vessels; stands for Terran Empire.

Pyromancy: Magical control over fire.

Medigel: Magically enhanced solution designed to heal wounds and stop bleeding. Works very well in conjunction with nanomachines. Derived from pre-unity age healing potions.

Advanced Translation Spell: A very advanced translation spell developed in the event of sapient alien contact. The spell allows the user to perfectly understand and speak the intended language, even over and through digital and radio communication, rendering the language barrier relevant and non existent.

Bag of Holding: A magic bag capable of holding and containing an almost endless amount of matter. Standard issue for Terran Military; used as a utility bag.

The Nine Hells: Also known as Baator in the Infernal language, The Nine Hells is the home plain of devils and demonkind. Often used as an analogy for someplace undesirable.

Mark 10 Thermal Detonator: Fairly common explosive ordinance

Salem System: The solar system in which Relay 314 was found.

Aussie: A planet in the Terran Empire, known for its harsh environment, dangerous outbacks, and very hostile wildlife.

LCCAMC: Local Command Center And Mission Control. The acronym of the stations located throughout the Terran Empire that serve as a main hub for their respective solar system.


	3. Chapter 2: War Begins

**AN**

 **Aight I've fixed the line break issue. For some reason they weren't registering on the previously published version. Let me know if anything else is up. Thanks Kraizy for bringing it to my attention.**

* * *

"Sparatus, If you're going to keep calling impromptu meetings like this," Tevos said, watching as the turian furiously tapped away at his omni tool, "can you at least tell us why?"

"Because three turian patrol ships disappeared half a week ago!" The counselor shouted back at the asari.

"It was a nothing! Just a routine patrol, looking for pirates and slavers," Sparatus began, voice rising in anger and disbelief, "when Relay 314 just activates! What we discovered at that damned relay was not Batarian Slavers like we said in our official story. What our patrol fleet found was an advanced ship of unknown origin activating the relay, in clear violation of Citadel law. As such our fleet opened fire on them." He explained.  
"Certainly an event notable enough to organize a meeting…" Valern remarked as he began typing on his own omni tool.

"You attacked a new species?! Did you know about this?" The Asari councilor demanded, glaring at the Turian councilor.

"No," The turian vehemently denied, "the rest of the Hierarchy kept me in the dark. I just found out a few minutes before."

"And that's not even half of it!" The Councilor continued, now sounding angry at his own people, "The Hierarchy told no one about this, and then sent another fleet to invade one of their colonies."

"Then you need to pull all turian forces out of their colony immediately!" Tevos all but screamed at him, "At this point, if the Hierarchy at _least_ stays out of this, we _might_ have a chance to salvage peace!"

But before the turian could reply to the asari, the warning came. Bright red lights began flashing, emergency sirens blading as the Citadel red alert echoed through the chamber. With a small _pop,_ the speaker on the wall behind the councilors flashed on, and a loud, droning monotone voice began to speak.

" **Attention Citadel residents,"** the booming digital voice began, " **This is a broadcasted transmission from the T.E. Hearthstar. The Terran Empire requests a meeting for negotiations to begin. We await your response."**

The room was silent.

"How long has it been since you heard back from the invasion force?" Tevos asked.

Sparatus was silent.

* * *

Three Days Before

Location: Shanxi, Terran colony in the Salem System.

"Spirits," the turian general muttered under his breath, the view out of his ship obstructed by a veritable fleet of defense ships amassed before the planet they were assigned to take, "that thing is larger than the Destiny Ascension…"

Easily five and a half kilometers long, this alien ship had a similar design thesis as the others. An elongated, geometric core, further built up with an almost intoxicating mix of harsh angles and smooth curves. The largest ship, the five and and a half kilometer one, was composed of a central octagonal core with a very broad two sides, making it seem almost partially flattened, with two, large, spade shaped coverings over the end, one on top and one below, that covered an elliptical portion that resemble a command center.

The back fanned out into a much wider octagon with a smooth, curved slope. The large eight sided back face was covered in a series of large, powerful looking engines. The main octagonal body of the ship was covered in heavy grey steel and painted with orange markings, which formed some kind of text along the side.

Starting just behind the ships double spade shaped head, a large triangular fin began, which progressed and widened gradually until it reached the wide, fanned out octagon that contained the engines, liking the front and back perfectly, the large triangle merging with the smooth slope of the back like magic.

The two wider top and bottom portions of the geometric core had the largest fins, and the faces angled diagonally relative to the flattened top and bottom of the flattened octagonal core had one of these fins, making the entire ship seem almost like a giant drill.

The hypotenuse of the fins were flat, not an edge, and each imposing triangle was bristling with weapons. Large scores of double, triple and even quadruple barreled turrets lined the broad, flat surfaces of the sides of the fins, each layer either spaced or elevated so they wouldn't hit each other. Rows upon rows of what must be missile or torpedo tubes were embedded in the hypotenuse of the triangle, facing directly toward the turian.

In lieu of a single spinal mounted gun, this titanic leviathan instead opted for two massive guns, one on each side that didn't have a fin. Massive behemoths of weapons, with giant barrels and what looked like massive heat sinks at the base. All along the length of the barrel pulsed thick orange lines of energy, either heat or power.

"Acquire targeting solution on that main ship, aim for its command center."

* * *

"Targeting solution acquired mam," a human weapons officer announced to the captain, "locked on the bulkhead of the centermost alien vessel."

"Shut the hatch," The captain answered, her voice radiating authority in power, "fire cannon A when ready."

"Affirmative captain." Came a swift response. With a few button presses and a slight jolt, the two Command Center Plates* came down, closing around the bridge with a great rumble. The view screens flickered as the RT Video Monitors* came online, displaying a view of the battlefield.

"Fire when ready."

* * *

"Sir the alien ship has uh…" The ensing looked at his monitor for a moment, "closed? Yeah, closed up its command center, what do we do?

"Fire anyway, the Eezo they must need to make those plates moveable should make it weak and flimsy. Our spinal cannon should have no problem getting through it."

The turians fired, and watched as their primary spinal mounted cannon slammed into an invisible force, and a bright purple glow flared up around where the ship was struck, energy shields shrugging off the slug.

"No effect sir," A weapons operator said, before looking back to his screen, "sir! The ship is firing!"

The turian general watched, eyes wide as one of the four massive cannons began to charge, a series of concentric circles and geometric lines of yellow pulsed to life, steadily growing stronger and stronger until it fired its payload, sending bright flash of whitish blue as a solid projectile came flying from the barrel. The heat sinks around the ship glowed a bright reddish orange for a second or two before fading, quickly returning to a dark gunmetal grey as the heat was vented into the cold vacuum of space.

The projectile sped up, as the already fast moving weapon activated a series of thrusters on its back, propelling it even faster. By the estimates of the surveillance crew, the _Turians Wrath_ had about four seconds before impact.

"What is it firing?" The turian general asked, more like demanded, the crew.

"All current data indicates a solid projectile, most likely-"

 _Ka-thoom_. With a loud, weighty noise the ship jerked back slightly, and the vessels shields shut down from the stress.

"Sir, shields are down!" One engineer shouted, frantically typing at his terminal.

"What the hell was that!" The general shouted.

"Solid projectile sir, most probably a railgun slug with thrusters," An officer said, relaying information from a holoscreen, "likely contained some high yield explosive ordnance."

"Begin evasive maneuvers, we can't take another hit like that!"

* * *

"Negative effect on target mam, but scans indicate the alien shields are disabled."

"Reassign targets," the captain ordered, sitting back down in her command chair, "attack the three ships closets to the flagship. Once shields are disabled, fire torpedo tubes one to one hundred from our primary fin."

"This is General Emilia Veit," the Terran general said, speaking through the radio to the other terran ships, "fire at will."

* * *

"Sir, the alien ships are firing!"

"Spirits," the turian general whispered as he watched the light cruiser on his starboard side almost cored by a shot from the five kilometer...ultra dreadnaught. Another solid metal slug, built like a giant cylinder topped by a wicked point and propelled by the fastest set of non FTL engines he had ever seen punched straight through the weaker shields of the cruiser and pierce a hole about halfway through, then detonating it's high explosive payload, blowing it into two separate pieces.

"General!" A voice came on over communications, "We're dropping like vorcha here, already a quarter of our fleet is gone and we've only destroyed two of their frigates and one cruiser! You better have plan!"

* * *

"Mam the _Cool Runnings_ was just destroyed, that's three ships down." the elf checked his screen.

"Eltab*!" The general yelled, slamming her fist down on her armrest with a faint crack as her knuckles popped, "They died with honor. I swear by the Nine Hells we will force these inbred gnolls* not to fuck with us!

"The aliens are making a break for it, they seem to be heading planetside."

"Mam, seventeen alien frigates are moving towards Shanxi."

"We haven't we stopped them!"

"They slipped through the hole in our formation after they destroyed some of our vessels, no one's close enough to stop them!"

"Damn it," the generals fist tightened further, knuckles cracking again in anger, "the planetary defense forces can handle them. Now our job is to not let a single one of these bastards through, understood?"

Hearing a cheer run through the bridge, General Veit allowed herself a small grin, as she gave a final order.

"Lets blow these fuckers right back to the void!"

* * *

Planetside: Shanxi

Jorus was not having the best day. The turian commander had been one of the ships fortunate enough to make it past the frankly absurd weaponry the aliens had, miraculously bypassing the missiles, slugs and direct energy weapons they possessed in spades, eventually entering the atmosphere.

And of course, as soon as he began sending dropships down, a full quarter of them were blown out of the sky by high explosive anti aircraft emplacements. Only after a solid few minutes of shelling from high atmosphere did the fire let up, allowing the 115th legion to land mainly intact about a dozen miles from the alien city.

It had been a few hours since they set up a base, and already things were off. Communications from the fleet were getting few and far between, soldiers were feeling restless, night had fallen, and the forest they were positioned in front off was getting very eerie, and apparently a few soldiers had gone missing in them.

There had even been a few soldiers talking about animals. Each account was a little different, but they had a few similarities.

It was red. And big.

* * *

Holding Cell: Onboard the T.E. Zicron

"General, is that a...Krogan?" A turian remember asked Desolas, pointing to an alien that had just walked up to their cell. It resembles a weird fusion between a drell and a lightweight krogan. Standing around six feet tall with substantial looking digitigrade legs, the alien moved with a gait that reminded the turians of a varren.

The parts that weren't covered by its slate grey uniform were layered in tough, murky, forest green scales. It reached forward toward the cell, slim forearms protruding from its grey two piece military suit at the elbow and pressed its finger up onto what must have been a fingerprint scanner, and the cell door whirred open.

It regarded them with smooth, olive green eyes that displayed a fierce intelligence, belaying its otherwise savage appearance. Its face had a structure similar to a varren, with a protruding snout that housed its nostrils. This aliens snout was somewhat shorter and a little stubbier than a varren, and it featured two eyes set into its skull, probably giving it binocular vision. Its head was layered in a series of large, flat scales, that overlapped, beginning above a pair of thick, black, curved scales over its eyes, and running over its cranium and down its neck, into its uniform.

As Desolas took in its appearance, he noted its feet, more so the fact that it wasn't wearing any footwear. But that might not be so much of an issue when the feet in question were large and wide, covered in very thick scales and sporting three digits, each topped with a heavy bone white talon that put an turians to shape. And based on how each digit shifted when the alien moved, they obviously possessed a fairly advanced form of dexterity, especially given the third, opposable digit in the back.

To lines of six alien soldiers, each clad in a black BDU and a metal exosuit formed behind the grey clad reptile, each soldier sporting the same blank, glossy black smooth polymer visor.

Other than that, they were very varied and different, some sporting horns, some with digitigrade legs, some with tails. As the lead alien motion for Desolas to follow, he swore he saw one with wings.

The reptilian alien led the turian general through the halls of the ship, moving at a speed that forced Desolas to pick up the pace, not letting him any rest, also occasionally making him dodge the tail the weird krogan, varren, drell looking green thing possessed, which swayed back and forth as it walked.

Eventually, the procession and Desolas reached a large door, which had a bronze, rectangular plaque on it and some alien text. The reptilian alien leading the general received a small nod from the two aliens standing at a sharp attention at the door, before it opened. Desolas entered, and the door shut behind him, leaving the Turian general alone in an empty room. An office, with a desk, a terminal, and a large office chair. The chair swiveled, revealing the body of another alien.

This one was an asari like creature, with the same facial structure and body shape, breasts included. Its skin had a light brownish hue, electric blue eyes, or eye, seeing as one was covered in a black eyepatch. The alien had what seemed to be mid back length fur, coming from the top of their head in long ropes of a startlingly vibrant and deep, rich, royal purple. Folded neatly behind their back was a set of medium sized feathered wings, which were also a deep shade of purple.

"Sit." Its voice was definitely feminine, with a clear air of authority. Obeying for now, Desolas sat down at the small chair across from the aliens desk, facing it.

"Who-" Desolas began, only to be cut off by the alien.

"I will be asking the questions here, beast," That commanding voice was back, with a dangerous undertone, like it was ready to rip his head off as soon as look at him, "You will be answering unless I allow you to ask."

"First question, who are you?"

"I am General Desolas Arterius, general of the Turian Hierarchy and captain of the Hunters Pride." He answered.

"Why are you here?" The alien asked.

"On a Turian patrol, making sure-" Desplas was forced to stop as a small blast of white light shot out of the aliens now outstretched hand, slamming into his chest.

"Do not bullshit me alien," The being growled, a glowing corona of white and gold energy floating around them, "I said, why. Are. You. Here?"

Desolas coughed and sputtered weakly for a moment, before saying the exact same thing. With what was almost a roar of rage, the alien lunged across the table, hand wrapping around Desolas's throat, and lifting him right over the desk, dragging him over to the window, and slamming his face against the thick, reinforced glass.

"THEN EXPLAIN THIS!" The alien shouted, and with Desolas strained against the glass, he looked outside, at what was unmistakably an invasion force. Dozens of Turian vessels, or at leat what was left of them littered the open space, debris and mass effect fields clashing with neon colored streaks of light and explosions.

"Spirits…" Desolas whispered, as he nearly sank to his knees.

"We need some real information out of this thing," The alien spoke into some form of communication device, "get an Illithid* on it ASAP."

* * *

Planetside: Shanxi

"What in Palavens name is that thing!" A turian foot soldier shouted as a large, red something turned a fellow soldier into mincemeat.

"Just shoot it!" Another yelled, unloading a full heat sink into the red scaly hide of what looked like an oversized varren with bones sticking out of its tail.

Mass effect rounds hitting its flesh, the beast lunged forward, its long, muscular jaw opening nearly 180 degrees, exposing a set of turian bloodstained teeth, with four massive, oversized canines in the front.

The jaw snapped shut, literally cutting a turian, body armor and all, in half at the waist, allowing two bisected parts to drop to the bloody ground.

With a flick of its wrist, a _second_ set of claws shot out of its paw, sending eight flesh rending blades into another soldier.

An deafening boom sounded, and a large explosion blossomed off the side of the 15 foot long creature. It let out a pained noise that sent shivers down the spine of all who heard, and leapt backward, four powerful legs propelling it around 20 or so feet back.

Defying all expectations, it then dodged a rocket, using its very large and clearly heavy tail as a counterweight to perform an acrobatic move that allowed it to jump over the explosive fired at it.

Its mouth opened again, and an evil, echoey roar blasted forth, making soldiers all around slap their hands over their ears.

Turning again, it used its athleticism to dart back into the tree line, its lithe and muscular form swiftly disappearing into the dark forest.

And then it was silent, save for the screams of the dying and those mutilated by what would become known as the Bloody Beast.

* * *

"Good boy Khally," Beastmaster* Alex Serean whispered as he pet the Odogaron* currently eating what was left of an alien soldier, "good boy."

"He's hurt," one of the field medics said as he inspected the gunshot wounds on the side of the drakes* body, "I don't have the supplies to treat an Odogaron. Get him back to HQ."

As Alex hopped up on Khally's back, and began to ride back to HQ, bounding off through the forest on a massive red drake.

"In other news, we have some intel, thanks in part to our little test run with Khally." The sergeant said as he looked over the Exo PDA* in his exosuit chassis.

"Yes, we've gained some valuable insight into their equipment," a member of the squads intel team spoke up, "their armor and shielding, while moderately effective against solid projectiles, provide essentially no defense against any form of energy weapons. Their weapons, while able to shred most flesh with little resistance, are almost entirely countered by armor and a-wall shielding."

"So what now sir?" A human soldier asked the elven sargent.

"Now?" The elf grinned from behind his black glasses.

"Now we attack."

* * *

Codex

Command Center Plates: Multiple models of terran starships have a series of two or more large, shovelhead shaped metal plates that rest on a series of hinges around the command center. When activated, they will shift forward and downwards in order to completely envelop the ship in a high density metal shell.

RT Video Monitor: The Real Time Video Monitor is a terran device used on starships with Command Center Plates installed. These small video cameras are placed on the outermost layer of armor, and activate when the command center is enclosed by linking to the primary bridge windows, which double as view screens, giving an effective and accurate real time view of the battle.

Eltab: Demon Prince of hatred and retribution; commonly used as a swear word, analogous to 'fuck', but more accurately being 'there will be blood(vengeance)'

Gnoll: A semi-magical bipedal with characteristics of a hyena. Despite being commonly used as an insult, the vast majority of Gnolls do not mind, and instead seem to relish it as a title, taking it almost as a challenge to go along with their love of battle, pillaging and banditry.

Illithid: A highly intelligent race of psionic be-tentacled humanoids with characteristics of an octopus or squid. Know for liberal use of mind control in combat and a knack for interrogation.

Drake: The general term for four legged, scaled dragon like beings. Drakes do not have wings, instead possessing four limbs.

Odogaron: A species of drake possessing red coloration, a large, bony tail used as a counterweight, large jaws, and 8 claws per foot. Highly aggressive and territorial, these monsters are incredibly fast for their size, making them ideal attack dogs.

Beastmaster: A military position given to people who use trained beasts in combat.

* * *

 **AN**

 **Oh boy. I just _love_ having a job over the summer. It allows me to work on my writing and have free time. Also Monster Hunter World PC. Good game. Anyways, sorry about **dissapearing **again. I'll try not to, but I can't make any promises.**

 **-Athk0r3**

 **ps Add me on steam, name's Loaf of Sadness**


	4. Chapter 3: Cleanup

**OH BOY HOWDY IT'S BEEN AWHILE SINCE** _ **THIS**_ **WAS UPDATED!**

 **Yeah sorry bois, I had a creative streak on one of my other stories, Rising Titans, and this/Sister of the Swarm kinda got put on the backburner.**

 **I think I'm going to try and not update one thing for like 3 months again lol.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Every Turian on the battlefield instinctively flinched at the sound of an air raid siren. Years of public life and military education taught them to fear that noise. This siren, albeit alien, was still recognizable. It sounded more organic, deep, almost like a roar. But knowing these aliens, it was probably another one of these beasts they kept sending.

Speaking of beasts, a turian watched as a large, quadruped animal tore out the throat of a fellow soldier, metal teeth flashing in the sun, greyish fur and pointed ears standing on end. It turned and focused on him, animalistic amber eyes and a snarl giving its full attention across the battlefield.

The creature bounded forward, the dull green armor and vest it wore rippling as it reached an impressive speed. With a great leap, the creature leapt onto the turian, and a set of metal teeth found a place on his throat.

* * *

Atlas was a good boy. Trained almost from birth as a war-hound, he and his master were inseparable. They grew up together, played together, hunted together, and now fought together. His human always protected him, and now he protected his human.

He was a wardog*. He loved the hunt, the thrill of fighting, and while he would never be as strong as any drake or dire-wolf, he did his best. His armor suit was strong, his vision perfect, his titanium teeth sharpened to perfection and alien flesh in his jaw.

"Good boy" Came the voice of Jake, his human, in the earpiece made for him. Quickly releasing his jaws from the now deceased alien, Atlas bounded back to Jake, and following him in a run just past the frontlines.

Atlas panted, fatigue starting to creep into his bones, before it was washed away by a chemical injection administered by his suit as Jake gave him a small treat, which Atlas happily ate, military grade titanium alloy teeth cracking the jawbreaker like nugget to dust with ease. His tail wagged as Jake patted his side while reloading his gun.

He loved his job.

* * *

Another air raid siren like noise echoed across the plain, causing eyes to dart to the sky, where the outlines of several aircraft were spotted. All looked the same, showing similar looking fixed wing aircraft, all with large engines situated on the back and wings of the craft

As the turians watched, dozens upon dozens of small objects began dropping out from the undersides of the ships.

"Bombing run, get down!" Came the voice from his communicator, and the turian hit the deck as the bombs hit the ground. Blasts and shockwaves shook the ground aa the earth rumbled beneath the onslaught. It lasted far longer than a turian bombing run, finally stopping after about 5 minutes.

Shakily getting to his feet, the now lone turian looked at the landscape around him, now notably lower in elevation than before. It was less like a field of craters, but more like the first few layers of soil had simply been blasted away, leaving a rough, rocky surface, decorated by shards of smoking metal, fire and destroyed vehicles.

He looked behind him, at what had once been a turian advance, now a smoldering column of rubble and fire.

Hearing the air raid siren like noise again, the turian nearly passed out when he saw something fly only a few dozen feet above him, a sound like...wingbeats. His eyes almost popped out of his skull when he saw the thing land behind him.

It was titanic, a monstrous reptile standing atop two powerful, three clawed legs. In place of arms were a pair of giant wings, easily measuring over 50 feet. Its body was large and bulky, showing massive lumps of muscle covered by thick, brownish tan scales. Its long, thick tail ended in a wide paddle, with a single large spike topping it. Its relatively small head topped its massive muscular neck and torso, showing a small, stocky maw filled with large, conical teeth, situated in front of a set of bright eyes that burned with a primal savagery.

Its upper neck and back was covered in rounded, slightly recessed brown scales, which looked about as protective as any modern tank armor. Underneath both its neck and tail were innumerable scales, which looked suspiciously like bombs, hanging underneath the creature. Straddling the creatures neck was a single bipedal alien, dressed in armor and an exosuit, the glowing orange visor of the helmet staring down at the turian.

Acting on reflex, the turian snapped his rifle up to the alien, only for his aim to be thrown by the giant reptile moving abruptly. The flesh in between the beasts scales began to glow with a fiery orange hue, as did the large scales underneath its chin and tail.

The creature roared, producing that organic air raid siren noise which had permeated the battlefield naught ten minutes ago, a sound so loud and deafening that the poor turian was forced to cover his ears, as a few of the large, glowing scales dropped from the creature, then promptly exploded after hitting the ground.

"Hands in the air alien." The armored soldier atop the beast vocalized, a robotic voice coming through the speakers as it raised a large, bulky assault rifle. Slowly, the turian complied.

* * *

Alzerus snorted derisively to himself as he stomped through the halls of the terran base. As commander of the outpost, he had decided to personally drop by the interrogation chambers.

He was a wyvern*, and as such, he was a proud being. He took pride in his rich, cobalt blue metallic scales, and his long, ridged tail, tipped with a wickedly pointed arrowhead. He looked ahead with two navy blue eyes, set into the draconic skull that topped his long, serpentine neck.

The talons of his anisodactyl feet clicked against the floor, and the three fingered pseudo-hands on the ends of his wings helped him keep balance. Truth be told, he enjoyed the contrast viscerally. He had the body of a great beastly reptile, dagger like teeth and long, powerful jaws. Layered head to toe in 30 feet of thick, cobalt scales and able to fly with a nearly 20 foot wingspan.

But this monstrous appearance belied a savage sophont, true sapience, and a brain intelligent enough to earn him a position as a military commander. As was typical of cobalt dragons*.

Using the talons of the first digit and opposable thumb on his right wing, Alzerus opened a door to an interrogation, relishing the look of horror on the aliens face as he entered.

"Oh spirits…" The alien practically wailed, slumping down in its chair, "You're going to feed me to a beast…"

…

From deep within both the interrogator and Alzerus came a small chuckle, which quickly blossomed into a booming laugh. After calming down, Alzerus wiped a single tear from his eye with the tip of his tail.

"Contrary to popular belief," Alzerus spoke with a metallic voice, "the thulium in your carapace is not ideal to eat."

"D-did that thing talk?"

"That _thing,_ " Alzerus deepened his tone to accent the word, "is the commander of this base, alien." Alzerus shook his head like a dog for a second, the draconic equivalent of scratching ones beard.

"And I'd like you to know that one of my special abilities is manipulating magnetic fields," The wyvern commander spoke, as the metal tables and chairs began to slowly move toward him. He slowly stalked forward, before raising his head up to about 10 feet, and placing a wing-hand on the aliens shoulder, "And I do believe Thulium is magnetic. So are we going to do this the easy way?"

"Or the painful way?"

* * *

"Of course it wouldn't have hurt," Alzerus snorted as he and the interrogator left the room, "removing trace amounts of a single element from a hardened carapace would be painless, even if I was able to do it. My breath attack doesn't have the fine control for that level of precise manipulation."

"Well you bluff worked perfectly sir," The interrogator replied, removing his smooth, reflective polymer helm, giving his elven features some air, "that Turian, despite his low rank, was very cooperative."

"Indeed," the colbalt wyvern rumbled in his metallic voice, "though he must have had quite a scare on the battlefield. He'll have quite a story to tell some day."

"Aye," replied the elven interrogator, polymer helmet underneath his arm, "not many people walk away from an angry Bazelgeuse* alive."

"But focusing on the situation at hand," Alzerus intoned, his slit pupiled eyes narrowing as a precession of Turian prisoners were led past him, "we have a problem."

"Yea, I felt it too." The elf walking alongside the wyvern reaffirmed, just as the ground began to shake all around them, nearly throwing the two off balance

* * *

Holding Cell onboard the T.E. Zicron

"This one did not give the order for an orbital bombing." Trakt stated, withdrawing his psychic powers from the now unconscious Turian and turning to the captain.

"Damn," Emelia growled, purple feathered wings quivering in cold rage, "I was hoping to execute it."

"Even so I would have sided with you ma'am," Trakt responded, folding his hands together, his tentacles curling up in amusement, "but this one is also a rather high ranking military officer. Him living is most probably for the best."

"How so?" The purple haired avariel* asked, "You already probed him, what else do we need from this sack of shit?"

"He's the most likely candidate to be able to force a surrender." The illithid responded, explaining his reasoning, "he's the highest ranking Turian we have right now."

"Mmm…" Emelia thought, considering her options, "Bring him to the bridge and wake him up. We'll have him call a surrender, and I don't care if I need to call in a necromancer* to reanimate him and physically him."

* * *

The Bridge of the T.E. Zicron

 _Awaken_

Desolas bolted awake at the sound of a foreign voice in his head. He looked around, shifting in the thick, metal bindings he was encased in. He seemed to be in the bridge of the alien ship, a large spacious room with a wall of digital screens facing the Turian vessels, and banks of computer terminals lining the walls.

While he couldn't see it, behind him was a large swiveling chair, obviously for the captain, and now that he was looking down, he noticed that he (as well as the chair) was on a separate platform, sectioned off from the rest of the room by a large, ten foot wide trench, which was filled with yet more terminals, with yet more aliens working them.

"Head up alien," Came a deep, bassy voice, almost Krogan in volume, "seems you're awake, thanks Trakt."

"It is my pleasure, Commander Monty." The warbly voice of Trakt spoke from behind Desolas. Focusing on the more immediate speaker, Desolas looked up at this, Commander Monty.

He had, as almost expected, the basic shape of these aliens. Somewhat similar to an Asari in basic facial structure while being decidedly masculine. His face was calm and composed, with an almost lazy and sluggish look, but an easily seen cold rage simmering behind his brownish tan eyes.

On his cheeks were two roughly triangular patches of scales, colored the same brownish tan of his eyes. His ears, something these aliens all seemed to possess, were long and pointed, sticking out of his messy brownish hair. Just like the patches on his cheeks, the ears were covered in brownish tan scales, each scale so incredibly fine and small it looked more like oddly colored skin.

He was wearing the same, grey uniform as the rest of the crew, with markings and patches on the collar and chest that must have designated him as an officer, the outfit complete with a small copper or brass tag. The tag read something in an alien script, most probably a form of identification. Unbeknownst to the turian, it read; Commander Monty, Lamia*: Reticulated Python*.

While Desolas was trying to figure out what those words meant, a deep, rumbling hiss drifted out from Monty, and a long, forked tongue flicked around, like it was tasting the air, before it shot back into his mouth.

His gaze drifting downward, the Turian realized this thing had the body of a gigantic reptile attached to it at the waist. It was almost like a baby thresher maw was in the process of eating him. Absolutely massive, easily reaching past thirty feet, and over a foot in diameter at the widest. Just the way it moved, slowly, hypnotically, made it clear that this was a powerful body, made of solid, rippling muscle and scale that would have no trouble snapping Desolas' spine with a twitch.

A calming and beautiful pattern covered its hide, with a repeating series of deep brownish tan markings, the scales in between those a solid black, making it look almost like a sentient, mottled tree trunk (and with roughly the same dimensions).

The giant reptile reared up as it approached him, giving Desolas a glimpse of wide, tanish cream colored ventral scales. Another deep, rumbling hiss snapped Desolas out of his trance, and he focused on the face of the creature.

"General Desolas," The alien spoke in a calm, soothing tone, offset slightly by the cold hatred in his eyes, "perfect timing."

"Commander Monty." He growled back, baring his teeth in defiance. In response, the giant reptile grinned, giving Desolas a glimpse of four white fangs, two in the lower jaw, two in the upper, both putting the teeth turians possessed to shame.

" _Judging from those fangs,"_ the general put his deductive skills to the test, " _He might have a venomous bite, should probably stay away from the head."_

"What's so funny Trakt?" Monty said, turning to the being behind Desolas, "He's not cracking jokes in his head is he?"

"No commander," came the warbly sounding voice again, "he took one look at your fangs and assumed you were venomous."

"Are you...reading my mind?" Desolas said, then shouted in just and understandable fear.

"I'm not," Monty put a hand on his chest, before the section of floor Desolas was kneeling on rotated, turning around and letting him see the one named Trakt, "he is."

In a way, this thing was even stranger. It stood at about six feet, clad once again in the utilitarian grey uniforms, but that's where the similarities stopped. This thing had a large, bulbous head, hairless and covered in light blue flesh, which looked to have a slick, almost slimy texture. It had no visible nose, two holes on the side of its head in place of ears, and a mouth hidden by three long tentacles. Its long, slim arms were topped with four fingered hands, one of which was opposable, all of them tipped in wicked claws.

"Hello there," The thing waved, its tentacles shifting as it spoke, alluding to a mouth hidden beneath it, "you're quite horrified, aren't you?"

Feeling the repulsion practically wafting off the turian, Trakt chortled, mouth tentacles curling in amusement.

"But I am not the one you should be scared of, Desolas," He said, as the turian officer found himself wrapped in the scaly coils of the lamia behind him, the section looped around him effortlessly lifting the soldier off the ground, chains and all, "that honor belongs to Commander Monty."

"Ssssssssssss…" Came the rumbling hiss of the giant alien, as it shifted to hold the turian upside down, "you know, I was hoping I'd get to execute you myself."

"Had I been allowed to, I would've gotten... _personal..._ with it," he shifted closer, his large, scaly coils letting him glide across the polished metal floor, "Before the official reports came in, I was just planning to swallow you whole, give me a nice meal and you a slow death."

"Really?" Desolas grunted out, feeling the aliens coils tighten around him, "You would eat another sentient alive?"

"Oh, not alive, no," The coils became tighter, "I'd crush you first, squeeze you so hard you carapace would shatter and your eyes would pop out of your skull."

With the raw strength the turian was feeling as he futilly struggled against the lamias lower body, he wasn't one to doubt he was capable of following through on his threat.

"Pythons* are constrictors, and as a Reticulated Python, I feel I have a reputation to uphold." He said, tightening his grip with each word, until both he and Desolas heard his carapace and bones creaking.

"Commander Monty! Put him down." Came the stern voice of the Captain of the T.E. Zicron, General Emelia Veit. The purple haired avariel stalked towards the black and brown lamia, an angry expression on her features, but a proud and almost encouraging look in her glowing blue eyes, the glow becoming softer and more inviting when she looked at the giant snake person.

"Darli-General Veit!" Monty stammered, quickly releasing pressure and placing the turian general back on the ground. He slithered away, a sheepishly awkward expression mixed with a touch of fear came onto his face, "I apologize."

"You can apologize later," She said, as he slithered next to her, jumping a little when she grabbed his back a little low down, "personally."

"Y-yes ma'am!" He stammered, a soft reddish hue spreading across his cheeks, much to the chagrin of the be-tentacled Trakt.

Seeing this obviously stronger and larger alien being essentially cowed into submission spoke volumes of the alien general. Being able to shatter the calm and almost laid back attitude of Commander Monty was a sign of strength.

"Now." She turned to Desolas, electric blue eyes hardening from an affectionate gaze to a cold, hateful stare as they went from looking at Commander Monty to General Desolas. "You."

"Yes, me." Desolas said, agreeing for simplicity's sake, panic starting to build as a growl started to build in the throat of the winged alien, before a quick whisper from the giant snake person next to her visibly calmed her down. She took a deep breath, and exhaled.

"Surrender." It was a command, there was no doubt about it. It was not a suggestion, or an option, or a request. There was no room for haggling, and Desolas knew it.

"Surrender, and you live. The turians held on board this and our other warship will live. If there is a ship out there that hasn't already been blown to ash," She jabbed a finger to one of the view screens, showing a veritable field of turian warship wreckage, and even now these alien vessels were blasting apart the few that dared to still roam the starts with either a hail of green projectiles, or slow firing, colossal spinal cannons, "it will be boarded instead of atomized. The two thousand soldiers still planetside and breathing will live. Your call."

* * *

Planetside: Shanxi

Two thousand. Out of nearly half a million soldiers landed on this alien world, two thousand were left after 2 days. They were out of food, supplies, armor units, support, and hope. Each day was nothing but alternating sustained bombings and crippling infantry assaults, while the nights were nothing but snipers taking potshots and commanders, targeting artillery strikes, and soldiers being eaten by giant monsters.

Not enough emphasis could be placed on the use of heavy artillery. If a soldier was caught so much breathing too loud, they were triangulated and an entire camp was wiped off the map in a minute.

Frankly, the call for surrender from a captured general in orbit was met with celebration, and as if summoned by it, the alien armies showed up nearly immediately. Soldiers were removed from command tents and disarmed, while stark white hovercraft emblazoned with red crosses in a circle loaded themselves up with wounded turians and took off.

The officers who were still alive were separated from the remaining, uninjured soldiers, and the two groups, numbering 15 and around 900 respectively, were loaded onto a separate series of vehicles.

As expected, Jorus gulped in fear as he was loaded onto a solid black vehicle. It was a monstrous, six wheeled, armor plated, utilitarian vehicle. There were no windows in the back, just two rows of ten seats, each loaded with a different Turian officer, the remaining five taken up by a small group of alien soldiers, each holding a large, bulky assault rifle.

These soldiers, with their solid black armor suits, reflective polymer visors, and lack of any distinguishing marks or symbols, were most probably some form of black ops division, specifically assigned to this vehicle.

For over an hour, the passengers rode in almost complete silence, the only noise coming from the dull hum of the vehicles engines and rumbling of wheels on the ground.

Eventually, the rough ground transitioned to something smoother, and the vehicle stopped shortly after. With a clank and pneumatic hiss, the back door swung open, revealing something resembling a holding bay. It was a huge space, probably a hastily converted hanger, filled with turian soldiers, each divided into groups of 20, confined to surprisingly reasonably sized areas. Each area was sectioned off by two rows of 10 foot chain link fencing, topped with large spools of barbed wire.

Seeing the barbed wire, Jorus shuddered, especially as he glimpsed a few with small splatters of turian blood on them. Not only was barbed wire overly intimidating, it had been outlawed by the council after the Krogan Rebellion for causing unnecessary harm to combatants and civilians.

The hundred or so alien soldiers guarding and patrolling the giant building only served to make the ones escorting the officers more intimidating. The general guards were more like the ones seen on the battlefield, with camouflage uniforms and gunmetal grey exo suits, all bearing serial numbers, identification and rankings on them. They all wore similar helmets bearing either a series of eye slits or an angular, geometric visors that softly glowed a variety of colors.

As Jorus and the other officers were guided past the fenced off soldiers, he got his first glimpse of what the aliens looked like under their helmets. He saw a single alien not wearing its helmet, and actively conversing with a turian soldier on the other side of the fence. It seemed to be a remarkably well mannered conversation, with the alien cracking a few grins and the turian flaring his mandibles in something resembling a mutual understanding approaching a friendship.

The alien had a face similar to an asari, with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. The distinctly feminine (at least going off of asari standards) looking alien had skin a very dark shade of grey, almost black, that looked almost volcanic in nature. It, or her, eyes had black scleras, and irises that glowed like hot coals, casting a reddish glow on the face of the turian she was talking to, small tongues of fire occasionally leaping out of the corners of her eyes.

The top of the aliens skull was covered in a thick mane of pitch black fur, which trailed down to the aliens mid back as a wild, wavy mess. Two triangular, pointed furry ears poked out the top of the aliens head, which twitched and shifted as the turian spoke to her. After a moment or two, the turian said something that must have been particularly funny, because the female alien broke out into laughter, the turian responding with his own after a second. Re-composing herself, the alien smiled at the turian, showing a wicked set of canines that seemed more appropriate on a varren.

"What _is_ that?" Jorus muttered, mostly to himself.

"Hellhound*." He nearly jumped out of his skin when one of the black suited aliens answered him, a digitalized and robotic voice coming from right behind him.

"Hellhound?" Jorus asked, hoping for a little elaboration.

"Massively simplified? Fire wolves." The alien responded, not breaking pace, "They're fast, strong, passionate, and very stubborn. Don't fuck with 'em."

Sensing the conversation end, Jorus decided to keep quiet after that. After all, he was planning on living through this nightmare.

* * *

Absurd as it may have sounded, Opiter was rather enjoying his time in 'prison'. He'd been treated well, had enough space to move around, and wasn't looked at like an animal.

He'd learned a few things from one of the soldiers, a female named Jayyeln who said she was something called a 'Hellhound', apparently some kind of 'spicy wolf', which he eventually figured out was pretty much a furry varren analogue.

Among the things he'd learnt was some basic information about the aliens they'd attacked. Apparently, what the turian higher ups though was a fledgling species homeworld, was in fact a newly established colony of a giant, militarized dominion, which he had no doubt calling a galactic superpower (lmao title drop), if this was what they considered light reinforcements to a far out and brand new colony.

This Terran Empire, as he'd learned it was called, contained an aggressively infuriating amount of species, with a dazzling array of diversity. Even just looking around, Opiter could see Terrans (Jayyeln had insisted he stop calling everyone 'that alien') with horns, wings, tails, two legs, four legs, a few dozen legs (something called a 'Centipede'*, he'd nearly screamed like a child when he first saw it), or even no legs.

Opiter had been talking to Jayyeln for a while, just learning some basic information about the Terran Empire, most of which she (Opiter had been told about their generally two-gendered and sexually dimorphic species) had readily offered up, only refusing to give him real military information, which he honestly couldn't get mad at.

And the fact that she was real easy on the eyes and super fun to talk to made getting mad impossible. Opiter had been somewhat ousted back home as what he would refer to as 'someone who is attracted to asari', something that for some reason didn't sit well with his family on Palaven. Perhaps it was that general attraction to the asari form and basic facial structure that did it, but Jayyeln was very attractive to him. And of course her mannerisms were adorable. She had this big smile every time he made a joke, and these wide, expressive eyes that glowed a soft red, which managed to calm him down even with occasional flames jumping out of them. Her furry ears would twitch a little when he started talking, and her fluffy tail would start wagging whenever she talked about something she liked.

All in all, she was cute and fun to be around, which made it even better when she kept coming back to chat with him. Even the next day, she came to inform him that they'd worked around the genetic issues surrounding food. Apparently, even with well over a hundred different species in the Empire, some originating from planets other than their homeworld, it was amazing that none of them were dextro-amino based.

As they were chatting away, the noise of a Terran aircraft landing drew Opiters attention, but he pushed it out of his mind, and went back to his conversation with Jayyeln, who was currently trying to explain the difference between the different types of dragons to him.

A couple of minutes later Jayyeln pointed out an example to him.

"That's a wyvern," She said, his eyes following her hand to the beast in questions, "see how he's only got two front limbs?"

"Yeah I," Opiter had to do a double take, "Is it-err, he, wearing a uniform?"

"Yes, yes he is Opiter," She giggled, "that's Alzerus, he's the base commander. He's a cobalt wyvern."

"Makes sense," He said, looking at the deep cobalt scales Alzerus possessed, "Who's that next to him?"

The being next to Alzerus somehow came off as more intimidating. Possessing a basic body structure known as humanoid*, this thing stood at least at a monstrous eight feet tall.

It strode forward on a set of bulky, muscular digitigrade legs, a pair of three clawed feet topped with wicked bone-white talons topping each of the webbed feet, the membrane between the digits glowing a bright, neon blue. It was dressed in a pair of solid black combat pants, which had a pair of slate grey shin and knee guards attached.

At the Terrans waist was a thick, brown leather belt weighed down by numerous pouches and bags. Coming out the back and sides of the belt was a waistcloth, which had a black outside and a light blue inside, and came down to the aliens mid shin.

Trailing out from behind was its tail, a solid 10 feet of muscle and black scale. The dark, black scales were marked with a series of blue scales arranged in stripes, each blue scale giving off a soft blue glow. The end of the tail was tipped in a large, black caudal fin, like some kind of land dwelling shark. The topside of the beings tail was taken up by a large, raised bony ridge that was made up of individual 'pieces', that looked like black, rounded bones, the tips of which were glowing a vivid electric blue, while the underside was layered in a series of glowing blue ventral scales.

From the waist upwards, the alien wasn't wearing anything besides its scales. The bony ridge increased in size as it ran up its tail, then up its back, reaching its largest ridge 'bone' between the shoulders, a single ridge that measured about a foot, before the whole ridge dropped off in size exponentially and faded by the time it reached the neck.

Just like the tail, the aliens back was layered in a hide of dark, black scales, broken up by symmetrical patches of glowing neon blue. This coat of scales ended st the aliens chest, the scales giving way to lightly tanned skin just before the aliens pectoral muscles and abdominal muscles, framing the front of its body.

Its long, muscular arms were covered similarly, with solid black scale, marred by two patches of glowing blue on the shoulders. The aliens large, slim hands were both covered in innumerable black scales, and slightly webbed, the webbing glowing the now signature neon blue. The outer edge of the aliens forearm, from its wrists to its elbows, was a much smaller, but no less notable bony ridge.

Gripped in the aliens right hand was some sort of weapon handle, resembling a between a giant sword handle and a miniature quarterstaff. Despite it only looking like a shaft of metal, Opiter knew it was something much, much more dangerous.

About where the largest ridge was, between the shoulders, were two extra limbs. Arranged like wings, and structure like wings, the only difference was that where most had, well...wings, these were tipped with a pair of tentacles. Each 'wing tentacle' was about six feet long and solid black, the undersides glowing that same bright, neon blue.

Now that Opiter saw its face, the turian could easily tell that this thing was a male, did Opiter realize that he must have been furious about something. His mouth was contorted into a snarl, razor sharp canines glinting dangerously in the artificial light. His face had two patches of roughly triangular scales on his cheeks, each patch having scales so small they looked more like smooth, black colored skin.

Sticking out the side of the aliens head was a pair of ears, which looked more like the fins of an aquatic creature, the interior fin material glowing neon blue.

His long, wild and windblown hair was a shade of blue so dark, it was almost black, and he had six, long neon blue tentacles growing and glowing from his head. Situated like a six on a face of dice, the first two started at the top of his skull, with a set behind that, and a third set right behind his ears. The first two didn't follow the pattern of his hair, and instead of being vaguely shifted towards the right, the four tentacles ran down his neck and stopped around his upper back. The two that came from behind his ears fell past his neck and down his chest, stopping halfway down his pectorals, where they shifted ambiently and curled and uncurled slightly as he walked.

But all of this glow was put to shame by his eyes, which were a shade of neon blue so bright and concentrated, it was like two balls of lightning were rolling around in his eyes.

And speaking of lightning, the terran had tendrils of blue electricity leaping around its form. Arcs and coils of lightning jumping from the torso to his arms, and between his wings. His head tentacles were constantly sending fingers of lightning all around, running up and the head tendrils, running through his hair, and of course, jumping up and down the tips of the bony ridge, the glowing tips acting as miniature lightning rods and setting the entire creature aglow in a harsh blue light.

"Holy shit that's Zeus Lannestar!" Jayyeln practically squealed, jumping up and down in excitement, "He's one of the War Lords of Terra*!"

"War lords?" Opiter asked, a little confused.

"Think of them as a mix between Generals, Specters, and your Primarchs," She explained, in a way that somehow made sense to him, "they're the best of the best."

"What's so special about this, Zeus?" The turian asked, which the Hellhound was fine with answering.

"Well for starters he's the youngest War Lord ever appointed, only about a thousand years old," She said, choosing to ignore the strangled cry of disbelief that came from Opiter, "he's also the first War Lord that isn't a species native to Terra."

"Really?" He asked, still recovering from that casual age bombshell, "Then what is he? Cause he looks like he fits right in with the rest of you."

"Zeus is a Shear* Frostbite Kraken**, from the Turtur Petra System*." She started. "In short, they're 8 foot psychic amphibious reptiles with lightning powers that can fly. So don't go picking fights with any, 'cause they can and will literally tear you in half."

"Hmmm." Opiter thought to himself, digesting the new information, "Sounds like good advice."

* * *

"While 900 and change in foot soldiers and 15 officers is more than we had before," Zeus said, walking next to Commander Alzerus, "I still don't think that will be enough to bargain a ceasefire with this council."

"And I share your opinions, Lord Lannestar," Alzerus intoned as the two made their way to the door on the other side of the converted hangar, "but I think our field performance should be enough to make them listen at the least."

"Mmm." Zeus responded, vaguely agreeing. "What of their motives? Do we have anything concrete yet?"

"Yes Sir," Alzerus replied as they reached the door, "something about galactic law enforcement. According to them, activating these so called 'Mass Relays'," The wyvern explained, momentarily standing up on his hind legs to give air quotes, "is a criminal offense, and they assumed us to be slavers.

"And after we retaliated they assumed the worst." The frostbite kraken finished, his expression softening by a fraction, and his ambient lightning dying down.

"At least in the beginning they did. Our most recent questionings revealed that higher up officers soon became aware the colony was not a pirate base, but once they figured that out, they decided to attempt to force us into becoming a client race."

"So they thought Shanxi was our homeworld?" Zeus growled, his lightning returning in full force at the news they planned to force a world under his protection into servitude. He was charged with the defense of this world, as it fell under the territory he was assigned to as War Lord, and now he was furious. The first new colony coming out of his sector, and an alien race just decided they wanted it? At his inauguration on Terra, Zeus had sworn to defend his charge, the newly christened Lannestar Sector, to the best of his ability.

He wanted blood.

* * *

Planetside: Shanxi

Shanxi High Command Base

Communications Room

"Rise, War Lord Zeus." Came the booming voice of Dread Lord Acererak, High King of the Terran Empire. The aforementioned frostbite kraken rose from his kneeling position and spoke.

"Thank you my lord," He said, before giving his report, "Approximately 44 Terran hours ago, a small fleet of alien craft entered the Salem System through the Mass Relay. Immediately, these aliens opened fire on the defending fleet in orbit around Shanxi. After 38 hours of fighting, both the planetside and orbital invasions were pacified, and all prisoners transferred to Shanxi."

"What do we know about these aliens?" Said the High King, the Holographic Communicator* showing the Dread Lord stand up and begin pacing.

"These aliens, known as Turians, are a highly militaristic and war driven race, essentially operating as strongmen who prefer to shoot first and never ask questions, I have forwarded you their biology reports, as I felt it was not immediately as important."

"Tell me," The High Lord of Terra said, his voice becoming a little cautious, "do you think these, Turians, are the Reapers?"

"No my lord," He answered, eliciting a sigh of relief from the Lich, "I considered it, but they just don't match up with the Prothean warnings and descriptions, and their motives are entirely dissimilar."

"Good." Acererak spoke, sitting back down, "I am glad I could trust you with this, Lord Zeus."

"Thank you my Lord," Zeus said, bowing again, "I will not disappoint."

"No you will not." Came the voice of the lich king, sending shivers down the frostbite krakens spine. "That is why I appointed you warlord. But moving on, I have approved a diplomatic attachment to accompany you into council space."

"With your permission, I would like to request a small expeditionary force, incase things don't work out."

"Frankly it would be out of character if you didn't," Acererak chuckled, "In addition, Lord Kaizer and Lord Ridley will be joining you."

"While I thank you for providing more forces to me, I'm not sure that Lord Kaizer is the best choice for this."

"Why is that?"

"Well, this Citadel Council has a documented history of AI discrimination, and...well…" Zeus trailed off as Acererak nodded in agreement.

"A valid point. But if we are to have the council ally with us, they will have to work through it." The lich said, his voice suddenly becoming much more grim and serious.

"The reapers are coming. And we need every advantage we can possibly get. The possibility of losing an alliance with a government like the council is not something either of us can afford."

"I understand, my Lord," Zeus said, rising from his kneeling position to move to shut off the communicator, "I will leave as soon as my detachment arrives."

"Good luck, Lord Zeus," Acererak said as he too motioned to deactivate the hologram, "I look forward to your next report."

* * *

Council Space

Approaching The Citadel

Onboard the T.E. Hearthstar

"Lord Zeus," Came the voice of a somewhat nervous sounding ensign, who jumped a little when the krakens crackling blue eyes focused on the rather small half-elf, "w-we are receiving communications from the T.E. Blade Runner."

"Put them through, and get me a line to the Edge of Tomorrow."

"Yes sir!"

In only a second or two, Zeus heard the sound of Lord Ridley and Lord Kaizer patching in from their flagships, the T.E. Blade Runner and the T.E. Edge of Tomorrow.

"Zeus, we're just about in range of the citadel." Said Lord Kaizer, with a rich voice that sounded like it had an almost synthesized tinge. "I was thinking of giving the honor to you."

"Appreciate it Kaizer," Zeus said as he began preparing to order the transmission, "Thoughts, Ridley?"

"Look man, it was your colony that got attacked," Came the laid back voice of Lord Ridley, sounding edged and almost metallic, "I can't take that away from you."

"Thanks." The kraken said, cracking a small smile as he gave the order to broadcast.

"It's showtime."

* * *

Council Space

The Citadel

The Alluring Asari

Wrex grunted as he threw back the rest of a bottle of Ryncol. He'd just finished up a job in the downtown and wound up in this grimy, run down bar to have a drink. His gaze drifted to the television screen, where a talk show interview of a Turian military leader was playing.

The asari interviewing the turian was asking about some rumors that the turians were invading batarian space, and making a few attempts to link it to the sudden departure of a turian expeditionary fleet into unknown space.

Just as the krogan mercenary put down the money for the drink and made to leave, both the speakers and the television screen cut out, much to the confused and annoyed murmurs of the bars patrons.

After only a moment, the screen lit back up, with a strange symbol on a solid black background. The symbol was composed of a circle, and a small cross inside it. The horizontal bars of the cross had a small dot between it and the circle's edge, while the top and lower bars of the cross were tipped with what looked like a _U,_ and another, much smaller circle with a line running three quarters of the way through it.

The symbol was a solid, bright green, and set Wrex on edge just looking at it. About 10 seconds after the symbol appeared on the screen, a booming voice came from the speakers all around the bar.

" **Attention Citadel residents** ," it said, " **This is a broadcasted transmission from the T.E. Hearthstar.** "

Wrex ran outside, shotgun in hand, looking for a threat to neutralize. As the transmission continued, he realize that every single screen and speaker was playing the message, drowning out anything else.

" **The Terran Empire requests a meeting for negotiations to begin."**

Maybe the rest of the day would be interesting.

" **We await your response."**

* * *

 **Codex**

Wardog: The term used to define members of the canine family that participate in military operations. Also known as k-9 troops.

Wyvern: A term used for the members of the reptilians known as dragons. Wyverns are characterized by having two legs, and two large wings, totalling four limbs.

Cobalt Dragons: A species of strong and rare dragons with metallic cobalt scales, above human intelligence and a powerful magnetic beam as a breath attack.

Bazelgeuse: A species of large flying wyvern, possessing large, albatross like wings, a bulky frame, and a pair of organs underneath their neck and tail that grow and produce explosive scales. Their way of fighting and signature siren like roar was the inspiration for the Terran class of ships known as bombers.

Avariel: Also known as winged elves or sky elves, avariel are basically lightweight (hollow boned) elves with wings. Their feathers naturally come in shades of brown, tan, speckled, white, and a few more assorted varieties, many Avariel commonly dye their feathers in hair, for both fashion and distinction.

Necromancer: A magic user who practices necromancy, the school of magic that specializes in death, both causing and reversing it. Until the rise of Lord Acererak, it was considered a form of forbidden magic, and as such many users were executed, only to have been (somewhat ironically) reanimated by Acererak to continue their work.

Lamia: The term used to categorize several species of Terran Empire inhabitants, having humanoid (elvish, dwarvish, etc.) top half, and the lower half of a large snake. They are mostly cold blooded, and take on the characteristics of the snakes they are named after.

Python: Large, non-venomous snakes that kill prey through constriction. Often very large. Similar to Boa Constrictors and Anacondas.

Reticulated Python: One of the largest non-magical snakes to live in the Terran Empire (Second only to the Titanoboa), Reticulated Pythons live naturally in rainforests, and are legendary constrictors. They can grow up to 30 feet, but do not often pass 20. Reticulated Python Lamia will grow up to 40 feet, but average around 35 feet.

Hellhound: A naturally magical subspecies (or variant, depending on who you ask), of a werewolf. Possessing dark grey skin and flaming red eyes, hellhounds have multiple lupine characteristics such as large, padded paws, lupine tails, and triangular ears. Hellhounds are known for being very emotional and passionate, on top of incredibly strong, fast, and skilled in pyromancy.

Centipede: An arthropod possessing a very long, segmented body, and a large amount of legs. Aside from common animal centipedes (measuring only a few inches in length), there are also beast-kin centipedes, and are, in offensively oversimplified terms, like a centipede and a lamia had a baby. They have humanoid upper bodies, and the lower body of a massive centipede.

Shear: A planet in the Turtur Petra System, known for having extremely hostile, non-sapient life forms including the Goliath (Shear), Kraken (Shear), Behemoth (Shear), Gorgon (Shear), and Wraith (Shear). Sapient life only developed once the Terran Empire had an established presence due to the Magi-Sapience Effect (TBD).

Turtur Petra System: A system in the territory of the Terran Empire. Mostly known for having the planet Shear (Turtur Petra 2) in its possession.

Shear Kraken: A being originally native to the planet Shear, the Shear Kraken is a large, semi-aquatic reptile with limited natural electricity and psychic abilities, the latter of which it uses to fly on its signature tentacle wings. Even before sapience, they were notably intelligent for animals, and should be only approached with the utmost caution. The beast-kin variants are similar, and possess similar characteristics. The main difference is the formers documented natural talent and hyper conductivity to magic, especially lightning and electricity.

Frostbite Kraken (Shear): A subspecies of Shear Kraken. The Frostbite Kraken (Shear) possesses a much more pronounced neon blue glow, as well as the presence of numerous light, neon blue scales and markings. These Shear Kraken are incredibly resistant to cold temperatures.

War Lords of Terra: The absolute highest attainable rank of military. As of writing, only 42 exist, each personally appointed by High Lord Acererak. They are supreme commanders of the Terran Military, and each oversees their own territory when not at war. They are appointed on merits of intelligence, achievements, tactical abilities, efficiency and proficiency. Raw strength and power is not a factor, but the enhancements they are given as part of their new position makes them nearly unchallengeable in direct combat.

Holographic Communicator: The Holographic Communicator is a 2 way communication system, consisting of two combination projector/camera type device that streams an almost real time signal to the opposing communicator, which is then projected into a hologram.


	5. Chapter 4: Meetings

**Sorry comrades, this one might be a little more codex heavy than I anticipated.**

 **Drop a review if you feel like it.**

* * *

" _Spirits,_ " Sparatus whispered to himself, as he looked at the viewscreen in front of him, " _how big is that ship?"_

"14.5 kilometers," Valern said, looking at his omnitool, "fascinating."

"Fascinating?!" Sparatus half shouted, half asked, prompting a sign and facepalm from Tevos, "They built a ship several times longer than the Destiny Ascension, and you call it 'fascinating'?"

Just then, a squadron of C-SEC guards burst into the room, weapons drawn. The leader, a turian (judging from the make of armor), stepped forward to speak to the Council.

"Councilors, we need to evacuate you, two more of those giant ships showed up," He said, gesturing towards the door, "this time with an entire fleet behind it."

"We can't evacuate now!" Tevos protested, "This might be our only chance to negotiate a cease-fire, we can't just throw it away!"

"You want to trust them?" Sparatus yelled back, "you'll get us all killed!"

"You think they'll just let you leave?" She shouted right back, jabbing a finger toward the viewscreen, "Your evacuation ship will get blown to dust before you even reach the relay!"

"They gave us a chance to negotiate, and I will not let you throw it away just because of your wounded Turian pride!" She finished, the room going silent.

Sparatus glared at her, both angry and scared at the same time. As stubborn (read: turian) as he was, he disliked throwing away opportunities. A noise from his omnitool revealed that the other two new, giant, ultra, super dreadnaughts both measured just over 15 kilometers in length, valuable information that actually managed to solidify his position.

"Fine." He growled, sitting back down, "open a channel."

* * *

Council Space

The Citadel

Onboard the T.E. Hearthstar

" _That worked?"_ Zeus mumbled to himself as another line of communications was received by his crew. Gesturing to the communications officers to patch it through to him, he began listening.

"This is the asari dreadnaught Destiny Ascension," came the tinny and distinctly female voice, "we welcome you to the Citadel and hope you will enjoy your stay, please send a shuttle or frigate down to the marked coordinates with your diplomatic team, and no more than a single squadron of guards."

"This is the Terran Poseidon Class* Micro Super Dreadnought*, T.E. Hearthstear. Expect us to be heavily armed." Zeus growled back, causing a sharp squeak of embarrassment and fear to crackle over the intercom before it shut off.

"Come on Zeus," Ridley said, drawing a groan from the Kraken, who put his face in his hands, head tentacles waving with embarrassment, "was that really necessary."

"Yes, yes it was Ridley." Kaizer cut back in. "If they want to try and intimidate us, we'll intimidate them right back."

"Speaking of intimidating," Ridley said, the faint noise of what sounded like old Terran sea shanties drifting through his mic, "I've got a detachment of Dread Sentinels* on board, courtesy of The Boss*. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You really want to bring a squadron of Dread Sentinels with us?" Zeus asked incredulously. The Dread Sentinels were perhaps the most black ops of black ops, and they were counted amongst the deadliest of soldiers in the Terran Empire, with each one being able to give even a War Lord a run for their money.

"Yes I want to bring them along," Ridley shot back, the sea shanties in the background getting slightly louder, "We _all_ know that these aliens will be bringing out their best guards, so we should do the same, nothing like a good dick-measuring contest."

"Mood." Came the one word reply from Zeus.

"Mood? Mood!" Kaizer shouted, making the Kraken flinch, "What are you, a fucking Decar*?"

"Big mood." Said Ridley, already starting to crack up when Kaizer spoke again.

"By the nine hells not you too…" The warlord groaned over the intercom, to which Ridley and Zeus dropped all pretenses and burst out in raucous laughter.

"Shut it!" Kaizer shouted in mock anger, "I'm coming over in a Drake Class* Macro Frigate* to _personally_ beat you two to a pulp."

"Sure thing Kaizer," Ridley laughed, before shouting to the bridge of his ship, "Alright boys and girls, I'm going out for a walk!", to which he received a couple laughs, a few 'Good Lucks' and a couple muted 'awws' of disappointment.

"I'll be going too," Kaizer said as Ridley disconnected, "I'll get Ridley, then come over for you."

"Understood," Zeus said, standing up from his captains throne, and reaching for his weapon, a Channeling Haft* affectionately named 'The Stormbreaker*', "I'll ping you which hangar bay to use."

"Thanks Zeus, I'll be over in a few minutes."

Stormbreaker in hand, Zeus walked down the halls of his flagship, until he reached his personal quarters. He quick exchanged his blue and grey uniform for his usual wear, that being solid black combat pants and a black and blue waistcloth. He attached the slate grey plating to his shins, the slabs of metal magnetically attaching to the cloth. With a small tug, he fastened his thick, leather belt around his waist, the numerous tactical pouches and his bag of holding giving it some weight.

After some deliberation, he decided against taking his combat harness. Much like his Channeling Haft, Zeus's combat harness was made of Sunlit Steel*, and was magically attuned and infused to let him channel his magic through it.

Using the same idea as his weapon, Zeus could use the harness as a base for his lightning and electricity magic, and use its form and design as a skeleton to make what was essentially a suit of armor made from plasma and lightning. It wasn't mechanized or anything, being literally a metal frame simply strapped to his body, but it was quite effective.

Leaving it in its storage, Zeus left, his haft strapped to his back through a three looped piece that went around his chest and back, and a pair of monstrous shotguns at his hips. Personal favorites, Zeus's black and blue Tzarjager Handcannons*, a pair of titanic, .50 caliber 15 gauge shotguns, complimenting the two belts of cerulean blue Tzarjager Shells* shells he wore on each thigh, and the two wrapped around his biceps.

Grunting and rolling his shoulders, black and blue scales rippling along his spine as his tentacle wings stretched, Zeus made his way down to the hanger he'd pinged to Kaizer.

Smiling to himself as the ship landed in Hangar Bay 3, Zeus stepped forward through the open door of the vessel, ready to butt heads with any alien he needed to.

He was almost excited.

* * *

Council Space

The Citadel

Unnamed Drake Class Micro Frigate

"You could have at least put on a shirt…" Kaizer said as Zeus boarded the ship, who snorted and mockingly rolled his neon blue eyes at the War Lord.

"What, and hide these guns?" Ridley cut in, slapping Zeus's scaly bicep with an open palm. Ridley, as usual, was dressed similarly to an ancient terran pirate.

He wore a light grey shirt, its texture and feel hiding its deceptively tough nature as a high-tensile fabric, faint strands of a silvery metal woven into the collarless button down, which had the top few open. His shirt was tucked into a pair of dark brown pants, which looked to be something similar to a tough, coarse denim-like fabric. Along with the thick leather utility belt around his waist, decorated with numerous pouches and bags, was a two inch thick leather belt going across his torso, from his left shoulder to his right hip.

Over all this he wore a long, knee length leather coat, well worn and used, creases and scratches marking it. As the leather swayed, the faint outlines of metal plates, sewn into the coat, could just be made out, which armored his entire form, all the way up to the high, popped collar.

"Good to see you too Ridley," The kraken slapped his comrade on the shoulder, "looking sharp*."

"As always Zeus." Ridley said, grinning. He turned and walked, his multi jointed, digitigrade limbs carrying across the hold of the ship with ease.

See, Lord Ridley is what's known as a Blade Drake*. They are basically wingless, scaleless dragons with lots of bladed, movable spines made of an organic metal. Ridley, standing at 6', supported his rail thin, lanky frame with a pair of digitigrade legs topped with zygodactyl feet, arranged like an owl or a parrot, possessing four highly dexterous and nimble digits, each topped with talons like razor blades.

However, despite being topped with very formidable, organic, metallic blades, the lack of scales means Blade Drakes need to wear special boots, much like the ones Ridley wore. Again modeled like ancient terran pirates, Ridleys knee high boots were a thick, tough brown leather, which gave way to the real footwear, a pair of matte black, jointed metal sabatons, letting him walk comfortable and use his without having to cram them into a pair of shoes.

All over his body, specially made slits were cut and sewn in his clothing to let his blades through. Even now, with all his blade spines* retracted, the pointed tips stuck up about an inch through his clothing, the magically conductive organic metals sitting in his flesh, ready to spring out at a moments notice.

As he walked down the hall, whistling a jumpy sea shanty, he idly scratched his back, a hand tipped in retractable talons reaching a small spot in the back of his neck, in between the twin rows of spinal blades, the clip pointed bio-knives vibrating in satisfaction, courtesy of a highly complex, secondary muscular system that controls the blades covering his body.

"Hey Ridley!" Zeus called out to the blade drake, who turned and sent a waving ripple across the myriad of horns on his head, the blade drake equivalent of raising an eyebrow, his two rows of five, footlong cranial blades appearing to do the wave.

"Yeah?" He called back, his ten foot long tail swaying gently. The entire length of his tail coated in so many greyish, metallic spine tips that his tail looked to be layered in chainsaw blades, culminating in a massive, two foot long clip pointed blade* that was more of a sword than the oversized Ka-Bar* knives his blades resembled.

"I thought you'd be going in with your knives out?" The kraken called out, "What's this softie shit?"

With a slight flex, all of Ridleys knives shot up. Every one of the little points sticking out of his flesh extended and rose up, making him look almost like a Seregios*. His claws extended out of his hands, tipping his arms in large, sickle shaped blades, each about three inches long. The rest of his knives varied, measuring about four inches long and a quarter inch wide at their smallest (on ears), and a full foot king and two inches wide at their largest (his double row of dorsal spines), with the majority of them around 6-7 inches king and half an inch wide.

His tail went from looking like a collection of chainsaw blades to a collection of chainsaw blades where each individual link had a six inch knife attached to it, his tail extending to eleven feet to compensate for this.

Each blade was swept back, giving him a razor sharp and spiny, yet graceful and aerodynamic look, with each knife like spine protruding from its specially sewn place on his jacket and clothes, save for his chest and stomach, those being the two place where blade drakes were bladeless.

"There, happy?" He said, his spines rapidly vibrating in amusement, much to the entertainment of Zeus.

"ETA 30 seconds," Came the voice of the ships commander over the intercom, interrupting them, "good luck!"

"30 seconds?" Ridley muttered to himself, before looking behind him, Zeus and Kaizer to the nine Dread Sentinels in the ship. Each of the sentinels was wearing a uniform, sleek suit of pitch black power armor decorated with sparse lines of glowing orange, and each head was encased in a sleek, black helmet with an orange, glowing visor in the shape of a broad _V_.

The 'Dread Suit*', as it had been nicknamed by the general population, was a monstrously intimidating set of power armor, and had pretty much anything a Dread Sentinel could ever need, from life support, to inbuilt weapons systems, to even thrusters capable of limited flight and hovering.

Each sentinel was armed with identical weaponry, holding a black, intimidating bullpup assault rifle know only as the Tarvor-X*, and a large, black handgun known as the A.J.M 9*, a powerful sidearm capable of firing solid or energy on either semiautomatic or a three round burst, which was attached through a magnetic clamp on the hip, much like the Scalpel-LE*, an automatic, magazine fed shotgun, which was magnetically clamped onto the backs of each sentinel, with a space next to them for their Tarvors.

On one side of each sentinels hip was a sword. A two foot long, spear pointed arming style sword, honed to a razor edge and sitting in a black, polymer sheath, rather complimenting the large, heavy combat knives they had strapped to the back of their hips.

"Overkill much?" Kaizer said, standing straight and adjusting his tie, a dull shade of orange.

"The best kind of kill." Ridley snarked, drawing a chuckle from two of the Dread Sentinels. Silent ones though, as their helmets and dampeners muted all sound, the slight shuddering of their shoulders the only thing giving it away.

With a short shudder and the sound of metal impacting metal, the ship landed. A moment later, the bay doors slid open, the view of the citadel filling the sight of the terrans. Zeus set his face in a scowl, lightning now crackling all across his body.

Showtime.

* * *

Council Space

The Citadel

Cruiser Landing Pad 3

T'irisa Mivusi nervously cleared her throat before looking to the camera. She was a well known and respected reporter working for ACN, or the Asari Citadel News. Word had gotten out (via record breaking ships in space and a citadel-wide transmission) of a new species coming to the citadel, and she had been tasked to be the asari to report on their first sighting.

As the angular and geometric cruiser touched down on the landing pad, every C-Sec officer put their fingers on the triggers of their respective weapons. They kept them lowered, and pointed at the floor, but it sent a clear message to T'irisa; there was no room for messing around.

With a thumbs up from her camera operator, she put on her best smile and began narrating.

"Hello Citadel, this is T'irisa Mivusi reporting live from Cruiser Landing Pad 3, here to get the first glimpse of this, Terran Empire," She said, as a set of mechanical doors and hatches opened up in the vessel, "and here they come right now, let's take a look."

The first two beings seemed disturbing similar to the asari, with the same basic structure, but the second she looked past that, T'irisa was almost floored.

The one on the right with digitigrade, krogan-esque legs was dressed in a combination of tough, black and grey cloth and thick, brown leather. It had a mess of medium length, metallic silver fur on top of its head, and it's entire body was covered in what looked like metal knife blades. It walked like a predator, a pair of four toed feet covered in black armor carrying it across the ground, and an eleven foot, blade covered tail swayed lazily behind it, a thick, two foot blade at its end.

The alien, possessing sharp, well defined features looked around, a pair of slit pupiled, deep red eyes scanning it's environment, zeroing in on the guns held by the C-Sec officers with what could only be described as curiosity or perhaps interest, as the double row of footling knives lining it's back waved.

The second one was much more normal...at a glance. Built like an asari, there were no obvious structural differences. This alien was wearing a two piece black uniform, with a white piece of clothing underneath it, a pair of heavy boots, and a dull orange strip of fabric around its neck.

This alien, unlike the others brownish pink, had skin the color of gunmetal, a smooth shade of non-reflective grey. But this aliens face seemed like a mask, as just past the jawline, the skin abruptly stopped, and instead shifted to what looked like a series of thick, black and orange cables. As this alien walked with an almost artificially perfect gait, T'irisa could see outlines of metal plating through its shirt, and the faint glow of the sparse orange cabling running around its body.

This alien's pitch black head fur was cut much shorter and arranged much neater, with a part on one side, where each portion was combed its respective way, framing the aliens face, which was defined, but certainly had a less...sharp...look to it. As she watched, certain portions of the aliens fur would glow a bright orange, seemingly at random, while its eyes, with black scleras and glowing irises, constantly glowed a bright, neon orange, like a pair of high beams at night.

The aliens hands, the only thing other than its head not covered by clothing, looked like advanced prosthetics, appearing like the cables that made up its neck with greyish, segmented plates on flat surfaces, letting the black and orange wire like material show through at the joints.

Then came the third alien, standing in the middle of the other two.

"I, wow…" was all she could say.

This alien was huge, easily standing eight feet tall, head and shoulders over even krogans, dwarfing the two, six foot aliens next to it. This one was also the least clothed, wearing nothing but armor plated pants, a black and blue waistcloth, and a few belts of what looked like oversized shotgun shells.

Layered in tough looking black and blue scales, this monstrous alien stomped out, six neon blue head tentacles waving around, and a pair of glowing eyes glaring at everything in sight. Taking of the camera, the tentacled alien took notice of T'irisa and zeroed in, glowing eyes narrowing, and a wicked set of sharp teeth, the fangs and molars of which wouldn't look out of place on some sort of ocean predator.

This thing looked like the oversized, muscle bound love child of an Asari, Hanar, and a Krogan warlord, with all the scales and tentacles.

Swallowing her fear, T'irisa approached the mountain of scale and flesh, eyes wide as blue lightning crackled around its body. The alien craned its head down, its long, wild navy blue head fur shifting as it moved, the two foot neon head tentacles slowly curling and uncurling as they waved around.

"Hello, I am T'irisa Mivusi, an Asari and reporter for ACN," She said, eyes briefly flickering to the nine figures layered in pitch black, orange accented power armor exiting the ship, each one of them armed to the teeth, "Can I get your name?"

"...Zeus Lannestar," The alien growled out, with a deep, bassy voice befitting its intimidating stature, "War Lord Zeus Lannestar, representative of the Terran Empire."

"Thank you, Mister Zeus," She said, as the blade covered alien got Zeus's attention, and the group started to move one, "before you go, I was just wondering what species you are, if you wouldn't mind answering."

"Frostbite Kraken," Zeus said, before a polite cough prompted him to give the orange and black wired alien a mix between an exasperated huff and a somewhat playful growl, "now if you'll excuse me, we need to get going."

"Of course, wouldn't want to keep the council waiting."

* * *

Frankly the council could have used a bit more waiting. Preferable a month or so, to gather enough information (read: any information) on any of the three, obviously different species now on the citadel.

Each councillor was doing their part to prepare. Tevos was touching up her makeup and making sure her dress was presentable, Valern was watching an ACN news broadcast, specifically an Asari reporter who managed to talk to the largest of the aliens, learning both the name and species of it.

And Sparatus was pacing in circles, muttering and growling to himself, trying to think up how to intimidate them, right up until a C-Sec officer walked into the room.

"Councilors, they have agreed to leave their guards outside, but they are insisting on keeping their weapons with them."

"Well we can't have that." Tevos complained, mostly to herself, prompting Valern to switch one of the screens to cam footage of the lobby, where an incredibly nervous and remarkably short turian was trying to convince the largest of the aliens, Zeus, to disarm.

"Sir, you're not allowed to have weapons in here." He said in a small voice as the Frostbite Kraken towered over him.

"I'm taking my guns," Zeus threatened, his voice no less intimidating and deep over speakers, "now get out of my way or I'll tear you in half." He growled out, bolts of blue lightning growing in intensity, the two tentacle tipped wings on his shoulders beginning to rapidly pulse a neon blue color as they waved slightly.

Valern shut off the footage as the turian stepped aside, letting the three aliens further into the building.

"Ma'am," the officer respectfully responded, "if you want to try and convince them otherwise, feel free, but they just entered the elevator."

"Ok ok," Sparatus muttered, before turning to the other councilors, "We've got five minutes, let's go over this one more time."

* * *

"If this thing goes any slower," Zeus growled in his native tongue, Terran Basic*, as the elevator trudged upward at a frankly embarrassing speed, "I'm going to rip the top off and fly up myself."

"It's not that bad Zeus," Kaizer said, also responding in Terran, so the guards wouldn't be able to understand them, "You can wait a minute or two no?"

"Kaizer, you are literally incapable of boredom," Ridley responded, scratching a rather vulgar series of words into the metal wall of the elevator with an errant blade, the citadel guards too intimidated or underpaid to stop him, "But you should chill out a little Zeus, it's not that bad."

"Fine, fine," The kraken grumbled, his long, slim tail swaying in agitation, the shark fin at the end of it brushing against the floor, "but it's definitely going this slow on purpose."

"How can you know?" Kaizer said as the jangly elevator music continued to play.

"I don't, I just...do."

* * *

"I've never been more glad we designed that thing to be so slow…" Tevos sighed, "We've always got a few extra minutes to get ready for anyone coming up."

 _Ding_

"Speak of the devils…" Sparatus growled as the doors slid open, and the three aliens stepped out, all but the grey skinned one looking relieved to be out. At the motions of Sparatus, the four C-Sec officers left, taking the elevator back down.

As the three began walking forward, the orange and black alien made a small hand motion to the largest, tentacled one, who nodded and kept moving forward.

Just as it approached the councillors, the alien shot its hand out to the side, grabbing onto something with its scaly hand. With a sharp squeeze, the massive alien forced the turian specter out of cloak, the elite soldier dropping its gun and clawing at its throat for air, as the alien growled and kept its grip.

Not willing to let a turian die on his watch, Sparatus activated his blade, his omni-tool flash forging the silicon-carbide in an instant, ready to leap at the alien. The alien grabbed the metal staff from a strap on its back, and swung it around. In only a moment or two, blue electricity began pouring out of it, swiftly forming and reshaping into a large, glowing triangle, then seemingly solidifying into a solid blade, the wicked, hissing tip pointing towards the councillor.

"Do you really want to do this, turian?" Zeus growled, it's deep voice echoing around the room, "Your blade against mine? Flash forged dagger against plasma swordspear?"

"Swordspear?" Sparatus asked, the sharp smell of ozone emanating from the glowing, crackling blade.

"I think you have more pressing issues at hand." The grey skinned, black clothed alien said, as the struggling of the turian specter in its friends grip began to weaken, "Even an average Kraken would have no trouble snapping your agents neck."

"..." Sparatus grit his teeth, before deactivating his omni-blade, "let him go."

"Hmmm…" The alien grumbled, releasing his grip and dropping the specter to the ground, letting the turian gasp for air once more. With nary a thought, the blade of plasma dissipated, and Zeus slung it over his back before he spoke again.

"Now are we going to talk, or do I have to break a few spines, turian?" The kraken said, as the specter staggered out of the room at Sparatus' direction. Sensing it was best to not let the turian in question responde, Tevos cut in.

"Yes, of course," the asari said, fighting back the urge to simply be quiet when Zeus' crackling blue eyes zeroed in on her, "let's move on to negotiations. I hope we can come to an agreement."

"I understand the transmission may have been a little misleading, but we are not here to come to agreements, councillor," The grey skinned alien said, his voice possessing a very pronounced, turian-like flanging effect, "and both of my colleagues think 'agreement' is a little too forgiving for what we're here for."

"Then what are you here for?" Valern asked, rapidly typing onto his omni-tool.

"Well originally," The blade coated alien said, with an almost metallic voice, "Lord Zeus was going to come here for your heads, quite literally." The statement punctuated by a deep growl from Zeus, and a gulp from Tevos.

"I was ordered otherwise, so be happy I respect the command of my lord, aliens," The kraken spat out, lightning arcing across his body, "without him, you three would be dead and your citadel burned for what you did to my colony."

"You would attack the citadel for law enforcement?" Sparatus shouted incredulously, "We only moved to pacify your colony because you attacked one of our ships!"

"After you blew an unarmed science research vessel to kingdom come!"

"How were we supposed to know that?"

"They transmitted several messages to your ships!"

"So you obliterate a Turian fleet? In response to the destruction of one ship?"

"You launched a full scale assault on a newly founded colony!"

" _We_ were attempting to pacify an unknown hostile threat!"

At this Zeus lost it. Now wreathed in crackling blue lightning, his neon colorations swiftly began to glow brighter, until his back tentacles extended and his body lifted off the ground, the small distortions of altered gravity appearing around him as he flew towards the turian. Landing just a foot or two in front of him, the kraken grabbed the turian by the raised, collar like portion of his clothing, and lifting the alien politician off of his feet and into the air. He brought his hand around to the side of the councillors head, two inch bladed claws extending from his fingertips, only a hair away from the face of his wraths recipient.

"YOU ORDERED AN ORBITAL BOMBING OF MY WORLD, AND NOW YOU HAVE THE GALL TO DOWNPLAY YOUR CRIMES? WERE IT NOT FOR MY ORDERS, I WOULD GUT YOU WITH MY BARE HAND!" He bellowed, with such a volume that the tablets on the council's podiums began rattling.

"Just calm-" Tevos began, before the fury of the Kraken was temporarily redirected to her.

"IF YOU FINISH THAT GODS DAMNED SENTENCE, I WILL FEED YOU TO A KARKAREN*!" His booming voice shutting her up rather quickly.

"ZEUS!" Shouted the flange voiced alien, as the kraken in question turned his ire back towards Sparatus.

"Thats enough." Came the voice of the bladed alien. The councillors looked over to see the alien heating up, literally. A deep, reddish orange glow came from within it's chest, and the room watched as the dozens of metal blades decorating it started to glow. The heat spread, the reflective grey turning a dull shade of red at the base, which slowly spread all around them, every one of the knives transitioning from dull red, to orange, to yellow, to a bright, glowing white of recently forged metal.

"You need to chill, Zeus," The alien said, steam wafting off it, audible hissing sounds coming from the large blade on the end of its tail as it brushed against the ground, its metal armored feet heating up enough to start deforming the floor of the room, "as much as I'd love to spitroast the bastards with my tail," the twelve foot long, glowing white blade covered appendage in question waving, each blade vibrating from side to side thanks to his secondary muscular system, "this is going to get us nowhere. So drop the fucker, and get back over here."

"Rrrrrrr…" Zeus growled, before dropping, more like throwing, Sparatus back behind his podium, before spreading his wings and gliding back down to his comrades. Once he was back with his friends, the black clothed one began to speak.

"Now while I'd love to begin negotiations proper, the war crimes of your patrol and invasion fleet cannot be overlooked," It spoke, orange eyes glowing like headlamps, "Multiple violations of sovereign Terran space, direct assault on a neutral empire, unprovoked attack on an unfortified garden world, possession of unregulated or sanctioned Neutronium*, and on top of that…" Tevos was glaring daggers at the turian councillor next to her.

"Littering." The alien spoke, as the bladed one next to it snorted in amusement, the white hot glow of its knives having cooled back down to metallic grey.

"Before we begin to bring up war crime charges," Tevos said, before any of the others could speak, "perhaps we might introduce each other?" She gestured to herself first.

"I am Councillor Tevos, the Citadel representative of the Asari Republics. Next to me is Councillor Valern, the Citadel representative of the Salarian Union."

"And I am Councillor Sparatus, the Citadel representative of the Turian Hierarchy."

"I am War Lord Kaizer Rektokoff, representative of the Rektokoff Sector and the Terran Empire." Said the grey skinned alien, before the next one spoke.

"I am War Lord Ridley," The blade coated alien said, "representative of the Ridley Sector and the Terran Empire."

"I am War Lord Zeus Lannestar, representative of the Lannestar Sector and the Terran Empire." He said, as Lord Kaizer clapped once, a metallic clicking sound coming when he smacked his palms together.

"Now with introductions out of the way, we can begin a dialogue." He said, cracking a smile.

"Now, where to start?"

* * *

 **Codex**

Dread Sentinel: A small black ops group semi-related to the legendary Terran Sentinels, an elite division of Terran Military. Each Dread Sentinel undergoes extreme conditioning, training and modifications in order to perform as needed. Extensive cybernetic upgrades and genetic modification is needed to even apply, and those that manage to survive the program come out as some of the deadliest beings in known space. Also known for their use of proprietary arms and advanced weaponry.

The Boss: The first and leader of the War Lords of Terra, and leader/founder of multiple black ops groups and military divisions. Most commonly referred to as 'Boss', but also known as the 'Ultimate Soldier', and 'Big Boss'.

Decar: A pseudo shortening of the word Decade, often used as an insult or to express indignation or anger. The word refers to Terrans under a decade (10 Terran years), and is essentially analogous to 'child'.

Super Dreadnought: A class of large Terran warships, the Super Dreadnought Category encompases all Terran Vessels ranging from 13.0 to 22.0 kilometers in length. Used as flagships for most War Lords.

Micro Super Dreadnought: A subcategory, or 'group', of Super Dreadnaughts, encompassing all Terran Vessels ranging from 13.0 to 16.0 kilometers in length. Closely related to the Super Dreadnought and Macro Super Dreadnought Groups (16.0-19.0km and 19.0-22.0km respectively).

Poseidon Class: A subgroup or 'class' of Micro Super Dreadnoughts, encompassing all Terran Vessels ranging from 14.0 to 15.0 kilometers. Closely related to Light and Heavy Poseidon Class (13.0-14.0 km and 15.0-16.0km respectively)

Frigate: A category of Terran Vessels, encompassing all ships 150-750 meters. Used as heavy armored transport, small escort craft, or light assault ships.

Macro Frigate: A subcategory or 'group' of Frigates, encompassing all Terran Vessels ranging from 550-750 meters in length. Closely related to the Micro Frigate and Frigate group (150-400 m and 400-550m respectively).

Drake Class: A subclass of the Macro Frigate Group. Encompasses all Terran Vessels ranging from 650-700 meters. Closely related to Light and Heavy Drake Class (550-600m and 700-750m respectively).

Channeling Haft: Essentially the modern, close range equivalent of a Magic Staff. Channeling Hafts are basically dense, magically attunded and infused lengths of conductive material, that are used to focus magic for close range, physical use.

The Stormbreaker: The choice melee weapon of Lord Zeus Lannestar, a Sunlit Steel channeling haft known as 'The Stormbreaker'. Zeus's Haft is used to channel his incredible lightning and electric magic proficiency, allowing him to use the haft as a conduit for nearly anything, by using it as a handle from which to produce plasma and lightning based 'blades' of magic energy. This allows him to use his haft as almost any melee weapon he wants, including a sword, spear, lance, scythe ect. However, the most common configuration he uses is what is known as a Swordspear.

Sunlit Steel: Sunlit Steel is the name given to a type of specially forged, naturally magical iron alloy created with techniques passed down by an order of knights and clerics who call themselves the 'Warriors of Sunlight'. This order claims to follow the philosophy and teachings of an ancient sun god, and their technique for creating Sunlit Steel has been passed down to them from this nameless god. It's main selling point over other, magical iron alloys is it's incredible affinity for lightning and sunlight magic channeling.

Tzarjager Handcannon: A monstrous handcannon, the Tzarjager Semiautomatic Shotgun, affectionately nicknamed the 'Wrist Killer', is a titanic beast of a shotgun, sized specifically for humanoid Terrans measuring around eight feet tall.

Tzarjager Shell: A type of pseudo-proprietary shotgun shell, the Tzarjager Shell is a massive, .50 caliber, 15 gauge shotgun shell measuring about 5 inches long. It is designed originally for use in the Tzarjager line of shotguns, but has since been adapted for other weapons.

Karkaren: A monstrous, deep sea carnivore known for their large size, ravenous appetite and horrifying appearance. Also called Abyss Titans, a Karkaren resembles something between an oversized lizard, a crab, an insect and a cephalopod. Possessing two large, strong back legs and two large, spiked tentacles for forelimbs. Their robust stature, combined with their jagged, tough carapace allows them to survive the crushing pressure of the deep sea trenches. Despite this, they have been known to walk up to land, and enter freshwater and inland bodies of water.

Blade Drake: A very unique form of drake, Blade Drakes are rare in that they are scale-less, instead having a leathery hide for defense. Non beast-kin blade drakes are quadrupedal, warm blooded, carnivorous reptiles, known for their unique metallic spines. While no two blade drakes have the exact same arrangements of spines, patterns are often similar, with 'edges' of limbs and broader surfaces like the outer wrist to the elbow and the back having larger, less flexible spines, with less broad and more flexibles places like around the face and along the tail having smaller blades.

Blade Spines: Quite literally resembling knives, these 'Blade Spines' are composed of an organic metal, which manifest as rows and rows of bladed, organic knives. When not erect (haha), these spines either lay against or retract into the body, depending on where the spine is. Each blade is remarkable dextrous, able to move freely in a half sphere from their point of emergence.

Looking Sharp: While commonly used as a way to compliment ones choice of attire, it takes on a new meaning when addressing Blade Drakes. When referring to them, the phrase takes on a meaning more similar to either "You look to be in good health", or "I find you very attractive", depending on context.

Neutronium: More commonly known as 'Element Zero', neutronium is an element with an atomic number of zero, and is composed of purely neutrons. It has the unieuw effect of altering the mass of physical objects when exposed to an electronic charge. A side effect of prolonged Neutronium exposure is the degradation of magic, through the breakdown of arcane bonds.

Clip Point Blade: The clip point is one of the three most common knife blade shapes used. Clip point blades have the appearance of having the forward third of the blade "clipped" off. The clip itself can be straight or concave.

Ka-Bar TUK: The Ka-Bar Tactical Utility Knife is the term used to refer to the line of clip pointed utility/combat knives used by members of the Terran Navy and Marine Corps.

Dread Suit: The name used to refer to the sleek, black and orange suits of power armor used by the Dread Sentinels. Unfortunately, further information is not available to the general population, and as such, the full specs and capabilities of this classified armor, even its official name, is generally unknown.

Tarvor-X: The name of the advanced assault rifles used by the Dread Sentinels. Known for being highly customizable, reliable, and durable, they most commonly fire a proprietary round of unknown make, but have been observed to fire particle and plasma projectiles as well.

A.J.M 9: Like the Tarvor-X, little is known about the Dread Sentinel firearm. They use proprietary rounds or an energy projectile, and have been observed to fire on either semi automatic or three round burst.

Scalpel-LE: Like the rest of the firearms used by the Dread Sentinels, very little is known about this open bolt, automatic shotgun other than the name and knowledge it fire proprietary rounds. It is estimated to use some sort of 12 gauge sized shell, but high explosive rounds have been observed with it as well.

Terran Basic: The most commonly used and most widely spoken language in the Terran Empire, and is used as the 'Language' of the empire.


End file.
